Minister Ponguleti: Revised Market Values of Lands by This Month-End

Hyderabad:Revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Saturday said the state government would revise land market values by the end of this month and implement the new rates after rationalising abnormal variations in land prices in several regions when compared with prevailing market values.

During an informal interaction with the media, the minister said the recent Cabinet meeting had decided to revise land market values in a scientific manner as there were huge disparities in government prescribed land values and actual market values in different areas. He said that the previous BRS government had increased land values twice within six months — in 2021-end and early 2022 — through an “unscientific approach.” He said the Congress government was revising the land values after detailed analysis based on suggestions and recommendations of noted economist Arvind Subramanian.

Referring to the housing scheme for poor, he said the previous BRS government had identified beneficiaries and allotted around 38,000 2BHK houses in Hyderabad ahead of the Assembly elections in 2023, but a scientific survey conducted over the following year revealed that nearly 16,000 beneficiaries had not occupied the houses.

He said the government had decided to allot houses closer to the places where poor beneficiaries lived, especially in urban areas like Hyderabad, as daily travel of nearly 25 kilometres was impractical for economically weaker sections. He said eligible beneficiaries would be identified and houses allotted along with infrastructure facilities. Housing facilities for the poor would be created in the three corporations within the ORR limits.

Srinivas Reddy said the government was examining the possibility of allowing brothers living on the same site to construct Indiramma houses under a “one-plus-one” model. He said several old colonies such as Vambay, NRJ and AMS, built nearly 40 to 50 years ago, were in a dilapidated condition and the government was considering sanctioning Indiramma houses in their place as well.

The minister said the state government had been waiting since March this year for the Centre’s share of funds under the Indiramma housing scheme, under which the Union government was expected to release around Rs 1.13 lakh per house. He said not even a single house had been sanctioned by the Centre in rural areas so far.

He stated that both Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and he had repeatedly represented the matter to the Centre seeking release of funds. At the same time, the state government had temporarily held back `1.6 lakh payments for completed houses. He clarified that if the Centre failed to release funds within the next 15 to 20 days, the state government would bear the expenditure and release the funds.

Srinivas Reddy announced that the second phase of the Indiramma housing scheme would be launched by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in Adilabad on June 2. He said several relaxations would be provided in the second phase. Houses with walls completed up to basement level, partially constructed structures and houses without slabs would also be considered eligible for sanction under the scheme. The minister said the Cabinet on May 21 would discuss and announce the number of houses to be allotted constituency-wise.

The minister said the government would identify 70 revenue villages in every district and undertake comprehensive surveys. To address recurring server issues during property registrations, tenders had been finalised for a new software system at a cost of `14.08 crore, and the issue was expected to be resolved within the next three to four months.