Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election promise of constructing one lakh 2-bedroom houses has resulted in a rush of hopefuls thronging offices, unaware even if their applications can be considered.
Ranga Reddy Collectorate is one of the government offices being flooded with applicants. For about a week now, around 10,000 applicants a day have placed their handwritten request.
Sans a government order or guidelines to process applications, queries regarding the status of application and timeframe for processing are met with inadequate responses.
“We have been asked to collect applications though a decision about their processing is awaited from the government. At this time, applicants cannot be told about the status of applications,” an RR district official said.
Incidentally, a similar situation prevailed last year before the government issued guidelines to fulfil an identical poll promise made before the 2014 general election.
Subsequently, it was decided that every Assembly constituency in the State would get 400 houses. Until the guidelines were received, officials were forced to collect applications during public grievances programmes at the collectorates without being able to address other issues.
“Until about a week ago, applicants continued pouring in at Hyderabad collectorate. They are being asked to apply later. A large number of applications has been already received so far,” a source in Hyderabad collectorate said. In Hyderabad district alone, around 2 lakh applicants who applied and paid during past public housing schemes, are waiting for a home.
Absence of instructions not withstanding, the district officials have set out to identify land for constructing the houses. Land available in slums and empty government land are being considered.
The TRS’s thumping victory in GHMC polls has also put Secunderabad Cantonment public representatives in the hot seat.
A ward member admitted feeling the stress of increased demand for two-bedroom houses from slums in the cantonment but the Cantonment Board, a central government municipal body, is not a partner in the scheme.
The Chief Minister’s election promise of constructing one lakh 2-bedroom houses has resulted in a rush of hopefuls thronging offices
