AP CM Makes Pedalandariki Illu A Reality

AMARAVATI: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday virtually launched the YSR Jagananna Colonies project, where 15.60 lakh houses will be constructed at a cost of Rs 28,084 crore in the first phase, targeting completion of the entire project by June 2023.

The government has embarked on a new history to distribute housesites to about 30.76 lakh beneficiaries on a scale unprecedented and which has never been done before in any State so far. Now the government is set to create another record by taking up the construction of the houses, where in the first phase, 15,60,227 houses will be constructed at a cost of Rs 28,084 crore and the massive housing project was virtually launched by the Chief Minister on Thursday (June 3) from the CM Camp office. 

As promised in the election manifesto, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government targeted to complete ‘Pedalandhariki Illu’ scheme by June 2023. In both phases, as many as 28,30,227 houses will be constructed at a cost of Rs 50,944 crore, where in phase -1, 15.50 lakh houses and phase -2, 12.70 lakh houses will be constructed. In regard to this, the Chief Minister directed the authorities to complete the construction works for phase-1 by June 2022, the second phase works by June 2023. Of the 8,905 layouts in the first phase, 11.26 lakh houses are being constructed as YSR Jagananna colonies. Similarly, the construction of 2,92,984 houses is being started for the beneficiaries with their own land along with 1,40,465 houses for the beneficiaries with allotted land.

As coined by the Chief Minister that new towns will emerge with these layouts, the authorities were directed to focus on the infrastructure facilities with an expenditure of Rs 32,909 crore. The government is spending Rs 4,128 crore on drinking water, Rs 22,587 crore on roads and drainage, Rs 4,986 crore on power supply, Rs 627 crore on the internet and Rs 567 crore on other facilities. Each house with a uniform design is built on 340 square feet with a bedroom, hall, kitchen, bathroom and porch. Also, each house is provided with two fans, two tube lights, four bulbs, and a Syntex‌ tank. The mapping and registration required for the construction of houses have already been completed and Geo-tagging works are in the final stages. 

In the current scenario, the economic situation in wake of the second phase of Covid-19, construction will provide 21.70 crore man-days of employment to labourers. Also, large-scale construction work will provide employment to masons, rod vendors, carpenters, electricians, bricklayers and cement sellers.

In another kind gesture, while the prices of building materials are skyrocketing, the government has taken the initiative keeping in view of the poorer sections, to provide the material at affordable prices. Reverse tendering was done to supply quality materials below market price so as not to burden the beneficiaries. The government has set up warehouses at the village and mandal level to store cement and other materials for the construction works. The government is procuring 69.70 lakh metric tonnes of cement, 7.44 lakh metric tonnes of steel, 310 lakh metric tonnes of sand, and other materials for the initial construction. The government will also provide 20 metric tonnes of sand free of cost from nearby sand rigs for the construction works.

Further, the government has given three options to the beneficiaries and made it clear that the beneficiary can make his own decision. In the first option, the government will supply the quality construction materials required to build the house and will also pay for the labour charges, where the beneficiaries can build the house on their own. In the second option, the beneficiaries can bring the construction materials required for the construction of the house themselves and build a house as per their interests. The government will make payments to the beneficiaries bank accounts in a phased manner depending on the construction progress. In the third option, the government shall build the house taking the entire responsibility of the building materials needed.