The Hindu Business Line : 18 lakh houses for the poor planned in AP

Addressing a press conference here after a detailed review of the programme, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said that in the next three years the Government would construct about 50 lakh houses, providing a major fillip to construction activity, while helping the poor with shelter.

These houses to be constructed at an investment of Rs 25,000 each will have two components. The first relates to a contribution of Rs 7,500 from the beneficiary and the second to the loan component of Rs 17,500 from Hudco.

The beneficiaries have to regularly pay their loan instalment of Rs 200 per month, Dr Reddy said.

The Indiramma scheme seeks to cover important aspects of housing, drinking water supply, sanitation, pensions and a host of other welfare programmes dovetailed into this.

Therefore, the scheme draws from contributions from various other programmes and seeks to bring in a holistic development of villages, including providing crucial arterial roads.

Dr Reddy said the State had undertaken a comprehensive survey of various districts to be covered under the Indiramma scheme; based on the local requirements, the beneficiaries of various schemes including housing have been identified. However, efforts have been initiated to verify who the beneficiaries would be.

Referring to the pension scheme, the Chief Minister said the State was reconsidering its approach to the scheme.

This is because the Central Government had recently announced plans to hike the old age pension amount to Rs 200 a month.

While the State is currently providing Rs 120 a month, a decision will soon be taken by the State at the next Cabinet meeting and the same would be announced in the legislative assembly as the session is in progress now.

Babli project concerns

The Chief Minister has sent in a representation to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, expressing concern about the construction of the Babli project on the Godavari river in Maharashtra in violation of the State concerns.

A delegation of State MPs will call on the PM and hand over the representation explaining how the Maharashtra Government had impinged on the State's interests.

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