VIJAYAWADA: The prestigious mega housing programme ‘Navaratnalu-Pedalandariki Illu’ is all set to be launched in the state on June 1. Holding a review meeting at his camp office on Wednesday, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed officials to make all arrangements for starting construction works by May 25 and ensure their timely completion by providing water, electricity and other amenities.
The Chief Minister made it clear to the officials that the works should not be stopped because of curfew, and that the works be carried out from 6 am to 12 noon. He said water and electricity should be provided in the colonies immediately as they are very crucial to ground the works. He directed that a model house be construed in every layout and a detailed report on it submitted later. He further said that details on expenditure, savings, modifications and other issues can be reviewed based on the reports. He felt that since the demand for steel would come down due to the Covid crisis, it might lead to a reduction in prices. He noted that the state would need 7.5 lakh tonnes of steel for the housing scheme. He asked the officials to hold talks with steel companies and ensure timely supplies to those beneficiaries who would like to construct houses on their own.
The Chief Minister called for the provision of all infrastructure facilities in layouts viz., CC roads, underground CC drains, water pipelines, electrification and internet. He observed that the mega construction of houses during the pandemic would contribute to economic growth as well. Workers would get work and businesses, too, would get a boost due to huge purchase of steel, cement and other materials. He asserted that levelling was very important in the construction of houses and drew attention to the fact that as many as 1.95 lakh plots have uneven ground.
The Chief Minister said care should be taken while laying underground cable system and adequate depth and distance ensured among water, electricity and Internet cables. He stressed on effective inter-departmental coordination as various government agencies and departments are involved in laying CC roads, water supply, electrification, underground internet, Clean Andhra Pradesh (cleanliness drive) in Jagananna Colony layouts. A single agency should be entrusted to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) so as to do away with any duplication of works. He also said painting should be done for all the Tidco (Andhra Pradesh Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation) houses and they should be provided with all facilities.
Jagan Mohan Reddy informed the meeting that the state government would request the central government for additional funds for the prestigious housing project as the houses were being constructed on large scale.
The officials gave a presentation on the housing projects in the state. They informed that 15,60,227 houses were allotted to the state under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana and YSR Urban-BLC first phase. Of these units, 71,502 are in disputes and courts were seized of the matter. Construction work started on the remaining 14,88,725 houses and their allotment had already been completed. Mapping was carried out for 13,71,592 houses.
The officials said the construction of houses in Jagananna layouts would start in June. Basement works would be completed by September, construction of walls would be over by December. The houses would be built by June 2022. Speaking of the Tidco scheme, they informed that 81,040 houses were almost completed and 75 per cent of works completed in 71,448 houses.
Municipal and Urban Development Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Housing Minister Cherukuvada Sriranganatha Raju, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Special Chief Secretary Y Srilakshmi, Special Chief Secretary (Housing ) Ajay Jain, Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopala Krishna Dwivedi, Special Chief Secretary (Finance ) KVV Satyanarayana, APTIDCO MD CH Sridhar, APSHCL MD Narayana Bharat Gupta, APSFCL Madhusudan Reddy and other officials were present.
