Govt house sites to only BPL families

Secretariat (Velagapudi) : The government issued guidelines for the ‘Housing for All’ programme taking a significant step toward fulfilling its one of the election promises.

As part of the programme, the government will allot three cents (one cent is 48.4 yards) of land in rural areas and two cents in urban areas. Revenue department special chief secretary R P Sisodia has issued orders in this regard on Monday. The orders specified that the state government will provide a conveyance deed for the land allotted under the ‘Housing for All’ scheme. This deed will grant freehold rights with a 10 years restriction period.

Sisodia stated that beneficiaries must begin construction of houses within two years. Policies have been designed to ensure that free house site pattas are issued only once in a lifetime.

Guidelines emphasise that construction should commence within two years of receiving the patta. Free housing sites will be allotted only to families belonging Below Poverty Line (BPL), and the beneficiary should not own any residential land or house anywhere in Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, individuals who have already benefited from any housing schemes implemented by the Central or state governments will not be eligible.

Sisodia also announced the formation of an officials’ committee to oversee coordination among various government departments. Guidelines detail the eligibility criteria and processes.

The committee, headed by the revenue minister and comprising the municipal administration and urban development minister and the housing minister along with other senior officials, will supervise the programme.

Additionally, the government has issued orders to constitute a separate committee of officials to ensure interdepartmental coordination for implementation of the scheme.