Vijayawada: Calling the NTR Nagar Scheme as revolutionary and the biggest housing scheme in India that was exclusively designed for the weaker sections, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to take up construction of the dwelling units under the scheme on a war footing.
He said that the state government had committed to provide better physical and social infrastructure in the NTR Nagar on par with gated community housing projects and, for the first time in India, the Andhra Pradesh Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (APTIDCO) has planned to implement energy efficiency measures in the dwelling units.
During the teleconference with Municipal Administration and Urban Development top officials and the Energy Department, Mr Naidu said he was sure that the NTR Nagar would become a role model for the entire country.
“The houses for the poor should be well-matched with the houses of rich people. The houses must be provided with all basic infrastructures in line with gated communities. People should feel happy and proud while they live in those houses,” the Chief Minister said.
The CM mentioned that the pucca houses will be provided energy efficiency star rated appliances (9W LED bulb, 20 W LED tube light, 50 W energy efficient fan and LED streetlights in surrounding areas) with a cost of around Rs 30 crore and then handed over to the beneficiaries. This is the first-of-its-kind project in India, said the CM. They will get reduced monthly electricity bills due to these measures.
This will be taken up in 75,000 dwelling units initially with the help of AP State Energy Efficiency Development Corporation (APSEEDCO) with the estimated energy savings potential of around 54.5 Million Units (MU) annually with monetary savings of Rs 32 crore annually. The scheme will be extended to 5 lakh units under NTR Nagar scheme in a phased manner.
Stating that having their own beautiful house with all facilities would be like a dream fulfilled for the people, said the CM and directed officials to mainly focus on providing all infrastructure in NTR Nagar like internal roads, electricity, water supply, drains, hospitals, schools and greenery etc. with energy efficiency, energy conservation and water conservation measures for the benefit of the dwellers.
The state government has provided Rs 13,035 crore for NTR Nagar as subsidy for infrastructure apart from providing free land worth several thousand crores.
The state government is spending Rs 4 to 5 lakh for each house. Minister for municipal administration and urban development P. Narayana said that 5.29 lakh houses were sanctioned in 101 urban local bodies under the scheme and the state government spent Rs 176 crore for the purchase of lands of 511 acres for the scheme.
