Anantapur: Housing beneficiaries seek financial support

Anantapur: About 1,045 YSR Housing colonies with 2.23 lakh houses accommodating more than 10 lakh population is the big picture and they have the potential to change rural and urban demography but the bottlenecks for the beneficiaries are many.

The roadblocks and financial bottlenecks are many for beneficiaries as many do not have the funds to lay foundation stone for their houses. It was the government's thinking that the beneficiaries should start first and the government will take over later.

Hundreds of beneficiaries failed to start off due to the government's different thinking. There are some, who feel that the government should have initiated house building first and then asked the beneficiaries to contribute at the final stage. This financial helplessness resulted in housing schemes failing to take off and miss the construction timetable for completion. Agencies like L&T would have done a better job if entrusted with the construction job, feels many observers. Radhika, a beneficiary of housing scheme in Bukkarayasamudram mandal, says ever since a house site was allotted to her, due to financial distress caused by Covid, she could not raise funds to start construction of her house. She has been urging the government to release its share first so that the beneficiaries can take over later. In every housing colony, many vacant plots are visible and every such plot speaks about the financial problems being faced by the beneficiaries. If the government does not intervene, then owning a house by 2023 will remain a dream.

These housing colonies are going to be developed as major or satellite townships triggering a social and economic revolution creating vast self-employment and livelihood opportunities within the townships. Joint Collector for Housing Nishanthi speaking to The Hans India said that although problems are being faced by beneficiaries to start house construction first, it is a policy decision of the government to encourage beneficiaries' investment first to instill a sense of responsibility in them. So, the beneficiaries must invest first and the government would take over later.

Infrastrcture facilities created at the housing colonies including water, well laid roads, power supply, drainages, schools, parks, community halls, fair price shops and anganwadis, village secretariats and business complexes. These townships would trigger self-employment opportunities and generate jobs within the township for skilled workers like electricians, plumbers, electronic gadgets technicians, provisional retail sellers and vegetable vendors, cell phone shops etc. The new houses will have a bedroom, a hall, kitchen and a verandah apart from bathroom and latrine.