The housing schemes taken up by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation have come under the scanner of district Collector S.A.M. Rizvi.
According to information, Mr. Rizvi wrote a letter to Vijayawada Municipal Corporation asking the Commissioner to furnish the details of housing projects taken up in the city. He asked the corporation about the number of houses allotted, basis for identifying the beneficiaries, number of houses ready for allotment since April.
Day in and day out, the town planning wing of VMC was flooded with the wish lists on allotments from elected representatives and higher ups in the VMC. They were recommending the town planning wing to accept the applications afresh from the people suggested by them.
They wanted the town planning to allot houses that are being constructed at Gollapudi and Jakkampudi under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission programme. The VMC was constructing about 8,000 houses at Gollapudi and Jakkampudi.
The VMC identified that 1.47 lakh people required housing in the city. Of this, 30,000 people had to be accorded priority in allotting houses. However, the Central Government sanctioned only 28,000 houses to the city under the JNNURM programme.
As a result, the corporation would have to grade the priority. The people living on river bed would be on top priority list. The people on canal bunds, hilly areas, and other objectionable encroachments also should be provided houses. Whereas, the wish list of elected representatives and VMC higher ups makes it difficult to meet these guidelines, say officials.
