The residents of Chilakapeta in the One Town area of the city will get new houses. Being covered along with those seeking own houses under the government schemes, the residents will be having the facility in situ at Chilakapeta.
They face several hardships living in dilapidated houses, constructed way back in mid-1980s. Last year there was an incident of collapse in which a boy suffered injuries.
For over six months a plan to get them vacated was in the offing with experts from Andhra University also stating that they were structurally not stable, says Urban Community Development Project Director D. Srinivasan.
MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar has also sought houses to them in view of their hardship.
Worried GVMC officials have tried to convince them of the lurking danger and with the weathermen forecasting cyclonic storms they saw immediate need to shift them.
With Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan personally overseeing the process, they finally got the 60-odd families vacated early this month. Though alternative accommodation has been provided at Madina Baugh in the JNNURM houses, with their earning a living in the vicinity they made arrangements of their own to stay.
Instead of earlier G+1 structures, improving the space, G+3 construction will be taken up and the detailed project report is being readied by AP Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APTIDCO).
Each of the housing units, that costs ₹6.42 lakh, will be subsidised to the tune of ₹1.5 lakh each by the State and central governments under the ‘Housing for All’ programme, while banks will provide a loan of ₹3.45 lakh and the beneficiary has to pay upfront ₹500.
Tenders will be called for the houses as a part of the second phase of the State government’s housing programme for 12,500 dwelling units, says Mr. Srinivasan. Once the process begins, the houses are expected to be completed in 15 months.
Still a far cry
The first phase of housing in the city covered 4,120 for which 50 % beneficiaries have been identified. The second phase will cover 12,500. The Housing Corporation has taken up beneficiary-led construction of houses for another 10,000. The units in various phases of completion for Hudhud victims will add another 4500.
All put together will fall short of the 1.6 lakh that have sought housing in the city.
A total of 2.4 lakh applications have been received by the GVMC and after screening, the final list comprises 1.6 lakh.
Still many more housing units are required to reach the goal of ‘Housing for All’ in the city.