Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on October 12 (Thursday) claimed that 72,000 acres of land was distributed among 31.7 lakh families to guarantee housing facility for one-crore poor people under the ‘Pedalandariki Illu’ scheme in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was addressing a public meeting after participating in the mass housewarming ceremony of the newly-built houses in the YSR Colony in Samarlakota in Kakinada district.
“Andhra Pradesh has scripted history in the country. A total of 16,000 YSR Colonies have been developed in the 13,000 gram panchayats in the State. The total market value of the 72,000 acres of land is worth nearly ₹75,000 crore. The market value of each house site is between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹15 lakh in different regions,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Nearly 31 lakh pattas were issued under the housing scheme, and construction activity was in progress in 22,000 sites, he said. “The construction of 7.43 lakh houses, including 1.57 lakh TIDCO houses, has been completed,” he added.
Jibe at Naidu
“My appeal to the people of the State is to make a comparison of my rule with that of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who accumulated crores of wealth and never come up with any policy that guaranteed house sites for the poor. In his own constituency of Kuppam, Mr. Naidu did not sanction house sites to the poor, while the YSRCP dispensation gave them 20,000 house site pattas,” he said.
The Chief Minister announced that he would soon grant ₹20 lakh grant for each village/ward secretariat to improve basic amenities, including roads and drainage connectivity.
“As many as 35 welfare schemes have been successfully implemented despite ups and downs at various stages, including the crisis during the COVID-19 period,” said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Responding to the appeal made by A.P. Housing Corporation chairman D. Dorababu, the Chief Minister sanctioned ₹24 crore for the Peddapuram Assembly segment.
It included ₹18 crore for upgrading the Samarlakota Government Junior College into a degree college and renovation of minor irrigation facilities.
BC Welfare Minister Ch. Venu Gopala Krishna and district Collector Krithika Shukla were among others present.