Andhra CM asks to expedite housing projects

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, asked the officials to expedite construction work of houses being built under the Indiramma and Sampoorthi schemes of the Government.

At a review meeting with the officials on the progress of housing schemes, Dr Reddy also directed the Housing Department to hand over the plots to the individual beneficiaries where land acquisitions for individual houses were completed before March 31, 2008.

The construction of houses was taken up under the phase-I of Sampoorthi in August. Though completion of 8 lakh houses was the target, six lakh houses were completed in four months. Houses at the lintel level and roof level were 7.84 lakh as on December 15.

The phase-II of Sampoorthi will start from January 1 and the target is to complete seven lakh houses by March 31, 2009 and construction materials such as cement, steel and sand will be procured in advance and bridge loans will be arranged on priority.

Under the Indiramma phase-III, 7 more lakh houses will be constructed and lands acquired will be divided into plots and handed over to the beneficiaries. The Chief Minister assured that required funds will be given for fast land acquisition. He also directed that the Indiramma logo should be done on every house.

The Chief Minister was told that East Godavari with 65 per cent, West Godavari with 64 per cent and Visakhapatnam with 62 per cent were leading in the completion of the Indiramma Housing scheme. However, Mahabubnagar and Warangal with 32 per cent, Nalgonda, Khammam and Ranga Reddy districts with 36 per cent each were lagging behind.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to find out the reasons and go ahead with the scheme strictly according to rules, according to a release.