VISAKHAPATNAM: Slum-dwellers on some government lands find themselves in a predicament after their applications were rejected in regularisation under GO 296 of the State government.
Those living in 30 slums at Arilova, PM Palem, Kommadi, Edugullu, Allipuram and Kancharapalem in Wards 3, 4, 5, 31, 32 and 35 have applied for regularisation under the GO. But their applications were rejected by the RDO stating that they were located on government land, according to secretary of Association for Urban and Tribal Development Pragada Vasu.
Those living in the slums came together for city-level slum network meeting organised by AUTD with the assistance of Samata and Indo Global Social Service Society on Thursday. They alleged that while some were able to get the regularisation they could not do it.
Around 2600 such persons have also applied for individual houses under Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY) hoping that they would get assistance under the scheme to construct houses on the land on which they are living, representatives from the slums said at the meeting.
But in PMAY so far no guidelines have been finalised on slum development, Mr. Vasu says.
Those who applied for PMAY are now being offered houses under the scheme but one does not know when the scheme will be taken up and houses completed, Mr. Vasu points out.
The slum-dwellers demanded that regularisation of their houses be done in situ. They also complained about lack of toilets in the slums.
