Housing warming ceremonies start, may adding own funds to govt grants for better homes
CHANDA-T (ADILABAD): Indiramma houses are now rising prominently across several villages in the erstwhile Adilabad district, replacing old huts made of mud walls, iron sheets and tarpaulin covers.
Many beneficiaries are constructing permanent Indiramma houses with modern comforts by adding ₹2-3 lakh of their own money to the ₹5 lakh sanctioned by the government. Construction activity has picked up significantly in Nirmal, Mancherial, Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Adilabad districts.
Housewarming ceremonies have already begun for a few completed homes, and many more Indiramma houses are nearing completion across the region.
While the houses are being built as per the approved design, several beneficiaries are investing additional funds with the future plan of adding a second floor, especially to meet the needs of growing families and prospective bridegrooms. Beneficiaries who can afford it are using pillars and high-quality mud bricks, whereas those with limited means are constructing homes without pillars using large “cement bricks.”
In Chanda (T) village of Adilabad mandal, Dalit couple Bojja Ashok and Kavitha are overjoyed while constructing the first permanent concrete home in their family. They even arranged non-vegetarian food for workers laying the slab on Tuesday. Ashok’s mother, Naramma, 65, supervised the mixing of cement and concrete and recalled that the family received only ₹4,000 for a house 40 years ago. The old house, with a gunapenka slab, has now been demolished to build the new Indiramma house.
Ashok said their old house had become unsafe after a snake began taking shelter inside due to poor ventilation and collapsing mud walls. He said they have received ₹2 lakh so far and that installments are being released on time when technical norms are fulfilled.
Many poor families in Chanda (T) earlier purchased plots for around ₹30,000 hoping to receive a 2BHK house under the previous scheme, but nothing materialised. Those plots are now being used for Indiramma houses, which are sanctioned only for beneficiaries with their own land.
Nearly 20 Indiramma houses have now come up in the area, with most ready for housewarming ceremonies. Locals have decided to name the colony “Indiramma Colony.” Beneficiaries such as Vanitha (BC) and Mamatha (SC) are among those nearing completion of their houses. A total of 100 Indiramma houses have been sanctioned for Chanda (T).
In Anukunta village, recently merged with Adilabad Municipality, Basa Ramesh and Gangamma held their housewarming ceremony a few days ago, which was attended by excise and prohibition minister Jupally Krishna Rao. Ramesh borrowed ₹3 lakh from relatives in addition to the ₹5 lakh sanctioned, saying they wanted to build a permanent house without compromising on quality. He, however, noted the rising cost of cement, iron, steel and interior materials this year.
Gangamma said their lifelong dream of a concrete home has come true through the Indiramma scheme, and they are confident of repaying their loan by working hard in their fields.
Indiramma houses are being sanctioned in the names of women beneficiaries, many of whom are part of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). SHGs are extending small loans to members who are unable to begin construction due to financial constraints.
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the government will facilitate bank loans, SHG loans and Sri Nidhi loans for beneficiaries who are struggling to start construction. He directed officials to identify such households.
District collector Venkatesh Dhotre and additional collector Deepak Tiwari are personally visiting villages, especially tribal areas, to check the progress of Indiramma houses and understand reasons for delays. In Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, Tiwari visited Keslaguda in Kerameri mandal and Kunchavelli in Lingapur mandal, instructing beneficiaries to build within the prescribed dimensions and avail free sand supply.
