PNS|Visakhapatnam
Allegations have been raised across the district regarding large-scale discrepancies in the government’s ‘one cent’ housing scheme, sparking concerns over systemic lapses in oversight, data manipulation, and irregular contractor payments.
Preliminary reports suggest that several housing units, though incomplete or yet to commence, have been falsely marked as completed in official records. Insiders allege that certain officials tampered with technical data and misused government portals, enabling favoured contractors to claim undue payments without delivering the promised work.
A critical flaw lies in the scheme’s geotagging system—designed to track construction progress through real-time photographic updates via a mobile app. In numerous cases, unrelated or completed house photos have reportedly been uploaded to falsely represent progress at yet-to-be-finished sites.
In the 22nd ward, at Vijayarampuram layout of Padmanabham mandal, glaring anomalies have come to light. One beneficiary’s house, with construction halted at the roofing stage, is listed as fully completed online. Another structure, still at the foundation level, has been officially documented as roofed.
In total, at least 10 such cases have been identified in this layout alone, with 42 roof-level and 17 foundation-to-roof stage houses falsely marked as complete. In a stark instance, a woman’s plot—where no construction has begun—is reflected in records as having a fully built house. The issue appears far from isolated. Similar complaints have emerged from Maddi, Gottipalli, and parts of Pendurthi and Anandapuram mandals, all under the Padmanabham zone, pointing to a deeper malaise in project monitoring.
Civil society organisations have called for a thorough, independent probe and stringent action against those involved in compromising the scheme’s credibility and misappropriating public funds.
The mounting outcry underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability in the execution of welfare initiatives.
