Slum-free Hyderabad to cost Rs 10,000 crore

So far under the JNNURM mission only 22,000 houses with a budget of Rs 1,200 crore were built in the last seven years which has not yet been given for occupation and that itself needs another Rs 600 crore for repairs and civic connection (water and electricity). The redevelopment of slums would cost around Rs 8 crore each. Thus for notified slums the budget would shoot up to Rs 26,568 crore.

That apart the 12 municipalities that were merged with GHMC still do not have proper sewerage and water connections. There is no special budget allocation for Dwarka, SC, BC groups. Nala repairs need Rs 300 crore.

The officials have categorised slums into three divisions, slums that need to be re-developed, upgraded and relocated.

“The budget allocated is insufficient. However this is the first time that a government has allocated a budget for slum development. Hyderabad would need Rs 10,000 crore to be a slum free city. About 80 percent of the notified slums need houses. People were given patta land but the government has not started construction. The previous government did collect amounts from people under the Rajiv housing programme but did not construct a single house nor has the money been returned. A majority of the slums first need individual toilets," said Mr. Srinivas Reddy, director of the association for promoting social action.

The GHMC standing committee on Thursday approved construction of new houses (ground plus 2) in five slums that are IDH Colony, Ammaguda, Subhash Chandra Bose Nagar, Bhagath Singh Nagar and Parthiwada at an estimated cost of Rs 36.50 crore. Also approved for construction are houses at Syed sab ka bada (notified slum) with 40 new houses in (G+3) pattern costing Rs 3.33 crore.