Rs 6.19 cr released for housing beneficiaries

 Rajamahendravaram : East Godavari District Collector P Prasanthi announced that the State government has released Rs 6.19 crore as additional financial assistance for 4,240 beneficiaries under its prestigious housing scheme. She highlighted that the district ranks first in the State in terms of fund disbursement and second in beneficiary awareness.

To expedite the completion of stalled housing projects, the Collector directed officials to personally engage with beneficiaries and educate them on government guidelines. During a Zoom conference, she instructed field-level officers and staff to accelerate construction work for the beneficiaries whose Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been issued.

Speaking on the occasion, Collector Prasanthi stated that 21,584 houses for SC, ST, and BC beneficiaries are yet to be completed in the district.

Under the scheme, the government provides Rs 50,000 to SC and BC beneficiaries, Rs 75,000 to ST beneficiaries, and Rs 1 lakh to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) for house construction.

So far, information has been provided to 8,540 beneficiaries, with direct field visits conducted for 8,477 individuals to explain government guidelines. Out of these, 5,678 families have come forward to begin construction with additional financial assistance. The government has released aid to 4,240 of them, including 1,724 SCs, 2,413 BCs and 112 STs.

As the new State government approaches its one-year completion in June, the district administration has set a target to complete 6,000 houses. Beneficiary data is being registered on the official website, and fund transfer orders are being issued accordingly.

District Housing In-charge Officer S Bhaskar Reddy stated that funds are being released in phases – Rs 15,000 at the basement level, Rs 15,000 at the lintel level and Rs 10,000 at the roof and completion stages.