Hyderabad civic polls: 'TRS gave dignity to poor', says MAUD minister KT Rama Rao

HYDERABAD: With polls to the GHMC around the corner, MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao criticised the Opposition for not doing enough during their regime to provide housing for the poor.  He inaugurated the Telangana government's prestigious Dignity Housing programme here on Monday and handed over 1,152 2BHK flats to the weaker sections at Jiyaguda (840), Ghode-ki-Khabar (192) and Kattela Mandi (120) built at an estimated cost of Rs 95.58 crore.

Rama Rao said that between 1985 and 2014, before the formation of Telangana, Opposition parties claimed to have constructed 35 to 40 lakh houses. If that was true, then all poor families should have owned a house. In reality, lakhs of poor do not own a pucca house to live, he said. 

Single bedroom "dabba houses" constructed under schemes such as Indiramma housing were substandard, he said. Inflated figures were shown on paper. But Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had been constructing 2.65 lakh double-bedroom houses across the State without collecting a single rupee from the beneficiaries. 

“The 2BHK dignity housing scheme is one-of-its kind in the country. Each house has an area of 560 sqft, with two bedrooms, hall, kitchen and two toilets. The design meets the urban family requirements and has excellent infrastructure such as roads, drains, streetlights, water supply, community hall, commercial centre,” he said.

The Minister recalled the saying "Illu katti choodu, pelli chesi choodu" and cited the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme where Rs 1,01,116 was being given to young women and their families as wedding expenditure. 

For each 2BHK, the government was spending Rs 9 lakh and the value of the same in the market was around Rs 50 lakh, Rama Rao elaborated. Amenities like an Anganwadi centre, Basthi Dawakhana and library were also being provided.

Beneficiaries warned

Rama Rao said dignity houses were meant for living in and the government would keep a close watch. If beneficiaries tried to sell the flats, cases would be booked against them and action taken as per the law. He asked people not to fall for middlemen or brokers. 

The MAUD Minister told beneficiaries to form societies to maintain the 2BHK dignity colonies, such as maintenance of lifts and clearance of garbage. Ministers M Mahmood Ali, T Srinivas Yadav, and Mayor Bonthu Rammohan were also present.