The State government is focussing on completion of Indiramma houses, which ran into rough weather for various reasons, including graft charges. The government has set a target of completing 1.5 lakh houses before 2019.
The Indiramma houses, now referred to as “houses sanctioned prior to 2014”, gained significance with the government setting a target of constructing 5 lakh houses before 2018 and 10 lakh houses before 2019. The government has estimated that there are 2.49 lakh houses across the State remain incomplete. Of this, 1.5 lakh will be completed in all aspects and ready for occupation before next general elections in 2019.
Housing Minister Kalava Srinivasulu during inspection at Jaganatha Gattu in Kurnool district recently found that only 147 houses were completed though 8,437 houses were sanctioned way back in 2006-07. The houses were sanctioned to downtrodden at Jagannatha Gattu under Integrated Novel Development In Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas (Indiramma) scheme.
The situation is no better in other districts. Chittoor district has highest number of incomplete houses with 31,434, while Prakasam has lowest number of 7,064. Only 31,361 houses were completed up to lintel and roof level in 13 districts as against 1.15 lakh eligible houses. Likewise, only 13,326 were completed up to basement or below basement level s against total eligibility of 1.78 lakh houses across the State. In all, 2.49 lakh house have to be completed across the State.
Many of the beneficiaries have left the construction midway. Some of the beneficiaries even passed away. The Indiramma colonies lacked basic amenities like roads and drinking water supply. Indiramma houses were reduced to a jungle with plants growing in the uninhabited houses.
Speaking to The Hindu , the Minister says that the government has an aim to provide shelter to the homeless people. Completion of houses sanctioned prior to 2014 is one of the government targets. The houses were incomplete for various reasons. The government has been giving a subsidy of ₹70,000 to the beneficiary. Now, an additional ₹25,000 would be given so as to meet the target, he says.
“The government has spent about ₹2,000 crore on them so far, and if they are abandoned midway, it will be waste of public money,” the Minister says.
In combined State in 2006, the government had taken up the massive housing programme to provide housing for the poor. Though the project started off well, it lost track in three years.
