TWO BED ROOM HOUSES FOR POOR KCR PET PROGRAM : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

TWO BED ROOM HOUSES FOR POOR

KCR PET PROGRAM

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao made a landmark shift in welfare measures by living up to his pre-poll promise of providing two bed room homes, complete with a common living area, a kitchen and two toilets, for the poor. These 560 square feet homes are being built at a cost of Rs 5.04 lakhs each under his ambitious housing for the poor program.

      As part of two bed-room housing programme the Government envisaged construction of 60, 000 housed in the first phase this year at the rate of 400 per each constituency which accounts for 36, 000 in rural areas and 24, 000 in urban areas which includes 12, 400 houses under state reserve with Chief Minister. Thus the constituency quota will be 47, 600.  Unit cost of each house would be Rs. 5.04 Lakhs excluding Rs. 1.25 Lakhs towards cost of infrastructure in rural areas and Rs. 5.30 Lakhs in urban areas excluding 0.75 lakhs towards infrastructure.

There are clear-cut guidelines issued by Government for Selection of beneficiaries. Criteria for selection is that the beneficiary should be an eligible BPL family having a valid Food Security Card with a number on her / her spouse name / his name  ( in case of widow / widower / Physically challenged). House will be sanctioned in the name of house wife. The family shall consist of wife, husband their unmarried children and dependents. Widows shall be given preference in selection. Houseless Families and families living presently in Huts, Katcha houses or in Rental Houses are also preferred. No one in the family should have been sanctioned a house under any housing Scheme taken up after 1994-95 in the State. Only one 2 BHK House per family shall be considered.

While selecting sites, the District Collectors have to identify most suitable Government land available if any, abutting to the village/Municipality to take up housing under land acquisition act. In Rural areas, independent houses shall be taken up with an individual plot area of 125 Square yards.  Wherever there is scarcity of land, the District Collectors may consider for G+ 1 house in major Gram Panchayats. In Urban areas, houses shall be taken up in G + pattern.

Each house will have 2 Bed Rooms, hall, kitchen and two toilets (bath-cum-WC) with a plinth area of 560 square feet (in Rural it includes area of staircase and in Urban it includes stair case & common area). Two lofts for storage of house-hold goods shall be provided, one in master Bed Room and other in the hall/near toilet. Required Civic infrastructure for each colony like Water supply, Electricity, Approach and internal Roads and Drains, Sewerage shall be provided.

With this scheme in mind, IDH colony where the two bed room houses as conceived by CM have been built and was inaugurated by CM stands as a role model for the entire state. To be more frank IDH colony even stands as a role model for other states also. Houses constructed in different states under various state and central government schemes are like match boxes with no proper ventilation and no sanitation. But, the Telangana government made a unique attempt to provide comfortable houses for them, not bothering about the expenditure. These houses built with a good living space and aesthetic values are provided to the people of BPL category free of cost. 

House sanctioned and built under Indira Avas Yojana had one hall and a kitchen with a toilet. There was no space for more family members and relatives who visit during special events and festivals. There were water and sewerage problems in those houses. Replacing the old house, the Telangana government constructed beautiful one with all amenities like a gated-community. People who would be living here live with self-respect.

KCR Inaugurated 377 Double Bedroom Flats at IDH Colony in Secunderabad on November 16, 2015. Though the government has announced that 400 houses will be built in each of the 119 Assembly constituencies in the state, 377 houses were completed in IDH Colony in the first phase of the project itself. KCR handed over registration documents to the beneficiaries. He expressed satisfaction over the quality of construction and said that the IDH Colony houses would serve as a model for the entire country. He also said that this is only a beginning and the state government would do all that is needed for the welfare and development of the poor.

The foundation stone for the 2 BHK flats was laid on 2014 Dasara. The beneficiaries of these flats include 276 SCs, 31 STs, 79 BCs and 10 minorities. The total cost of the project is around Rs 37 Crores. The average cost of construction per unit is around Rs 7.90 lakhs for housing and Rs 1.33 lakhs for infrastructure.  

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister claimed that it was a history in India that the poor people had got permanent accommodation. CM said that state government will not construct single box like rooms for the poor but will build only spacious 2 BHK rooms. He said that “The double bedroom housing scheme of Telangana government was first of its kind in the entire country. I am happy to see you entering your own two-bedroom houses built. It was our promise and we have fulfilled it,” he said. He announced that similar houses would be constructed in every Assembly segment for the poor. Each constituency would have a minimum of 400 houses. In all, 60,000 houses would be constructed all over the State in the first phase,” KCR declared.

Several states are emulating the double bedroom concept of Telangana. Some of them have already enquired about the scheme and a 25-member delegation from Goa studied the double bedroom housing scheme at IDH Colony. The fact that Governor requested to the State government that he be allotted a flat in the colony, stands testimony to the quality of the construction.

Criteria for selection of beneficiaries for the first phase of 60, 000 houses all over the state as well as for future phases is also a model for other states. A district level committee consisting of MLAs of the district under the Chairmanship of the Minister of the district and the district Collector as convener will see the overall implementation of the program. This committee finalizes the Gram Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies (wards) and number of houses there for each constituency. Normally the number of houses allotted shall be 400 for each constituency unless additional houses are allotted under state quota. Committee decides the minimum caste composition for SC, ST and Minorities. Overall caste composition in allotment of houses shall be maintained for the district as a whole.

District Collector concerned prepares schedule of Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies for calling applications and for conducting Gram Sabhas or Ward Sabhas as the case may be, for making preliminary scrutiny of applications as per the eligibility criteria. Preliminary scrutinized list is forwarded to the Tahasildar of the concerned mandal for secondary verification who subsequently submits to the Collector back again. This list is placed in the Gram Sabha or Ward Sabha as the case may be, for drawl of lots to select the final beneficiaries for this phase. Caste composition is adhered. This final list is placed before the district level committee for approval following which Collector issues sanction orders. There is no political interference anywhere in the process. (27-11-2015)