C Pradeep kumar
Vijayawada
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will lay the foundation stone for the construction of 47,017 houses in the R5 zone of the CRDA region on July 24. In June, the CM issued pattas to more than 50,000 beneficiaries, and the ‘bhoomi puja’ for the construction of houses will commence next Monday. CM Jagan will lay the foundation stone at Krishnayapalem layout, where a pylon and a model house have also been constructed. Infrastructure facilities such as electricity, drainage, water, and others are being established in the layouts.
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet recently approved the construction of 47,000 houses for the poor in Amaravati. These houses will be built in an area previously designated for the development of the state capital. The Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, decided to perform the Bhoomi Puja on July 24. The construction will take place in the 1,366-acre R-5 zone of the CRDA region, with an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore.
The government has provided three options for the construction of the houses. Under the first option, beneficiaries who wish to construct the houses themselves will receive a transfer of Rs 1,80,000 into their bank accounts. The second option involves the government transferring the labor expenses into the bank accounts after supplying construction material. The third option places the complete responsibility of construction on the government.
Interestingly, over 90 percent of the beneficiaries have opted for option 3, entrusting the complete construction responsibility to the government, according to housing department officials. The dwelling houses will be constructed using share-wall technology.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed officials to take all necessary legal steps to overcome any obstacles that may arise during the construction of houses for the poor in the R5 zone of the CRDA region.
In March, the State government declared a new zone, R-5, in Amaravati to provide houses for the poor on over 900 acres of land. This land was previously earmarked for industries, businesses, and other commercial purposes in the master plan for the Amaravati area.
The move sparked opposition from the Amaravati farmers’ Joint Action Committee (JAC), which challenged it in the High Court, arguing that it would change the status of the capital region and affect their interests.
On May 5, the High Court declined to pass interim orders on a petition challenging the government’s move. Later, the Supreme Court also refused to grant a stay on the High Court order. However, the apex court ruled that the rights of the house site beneficiaries will be subject to the final judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The case is scheduled for July 21, but the cabinet has made arrangements for the construction of houses for the poor in the R5 zone of the CRDA region on July 24, with the optimistic view that the case will not impede the construction activity for the deserving women beneficiaries.
Housing Special CS Ajay Jain, along with Guntur district collector M Venugopal Reddy, MLC Talasila Raghuram, Housing MD Lakshmisha, JMD Siva Prasad, and others, visited Krishnayapalem on Tuesday to inspect the arrangements for CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit on July 24 to lay the foundation stone for the construction of over 47,000 houses for women beneficiaries from both Guntur and NTR districts.
