They moved out of their slums, paid up thousands and waited years for concrete homes. But, the State developed subsidised houses have come as an unfair deal for many among the urban poor.
‘Rehabilitation' into houses plagued with problems has meant nothing for some. Built with unit cost of no more than Rs. 1 lakh over five years ago, these houses are part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
“For eight years after eviction from our slum we had to live in rented houses which we couldn't afford. And now despite moving into these houses, everyday life is extremely difficult,” said Manga, who lives in a JNNURM house in Bansilalpet.
“There is no water supply, neither is there electricity. There is a water tank but the pipes are broken. We have to walk kilometres to fetch little water everyday,” she added.
While some have restored to acquiring power supply through illegal connections from their neighbours, others have been living without any electricity.
Many also complained that walls of homes were developing cracks within a year of their moving in. The doors, they said, were falling apart and holes in walls stood in place of windows. Moreover, the meagrely funded houses, built on barely 25 sq yards, comprise a small room, open kitchen and bathroom.
“From tin sheds that we lived in earlier, we had moved into concrete sheds,” said Madhavi, another resident.
The two-storey constructions in Bansilapet were meant to rehabilitate 24 families in the area. But residents informed that six families have abstained from moving in, despite paying for the houses. “We hoped for much better houses and paid the money. But with no electricity or water supply many families, especially those with children, find it difficult to live here,” added Madhavi.
These houses, however, were decently equipped on their completion nearly four years ago. But absence of maintenance has made these newly constructed houses to assume a slum like appearance.
Undue delay in allotting the houses to beneficiaries despite completion of construction, officials said, has caused the problems. “More than two years were spent in allotting the houses. Newly constructed rooms, when locked over such a long period, are bound to develop cracks,” informed an official.
Grills, pipes stolen
Window grills, door locks, pipes and other such accessories too had been stolen from the houses during the allocation process, rendering houses in their current form, they said.
This situation, however, is in contrast to the houses being built with unit cost of up to Rs. 2.6 lakh. They are bigger in area and equipped with better facilities.
