Vijayawada: Jagananna house sites for sale

Vijayawada: Unable to bear the high cost of construction ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, some of the beneficiaries who got land under Jagananna Housing Scheme have put the land on sale.

At certain places in NTR district, they are learnt to be selling the land for Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 in rural areas and Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in major municipalities and municipal corporations. Unofficial transfer of land is being done using Rs 100 stamp paper in the presence of two witnesses.

The process is happening in the premises of registration offices concerned. Private document writers are helping this. It should be noted that the state government has allotted one cent (48.4 square yards) house pattas in urban areas and 1.5 cents (72.6 square yards) in the rural areas to the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries say that though the government has given land, construction has become a major problem. If a beneficiary wants to construct a house, he will have to spend another Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in addition to the Rs 1.80 lakh sanctioned by the government, including the cost of labour. The masonry work alone would cost around Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh.

The masons are charging Rs 1000 per day and the labour would charge around Rs 900. Some are selling them to clear their debts. When asked about the sale of house pattas, NTR district Housing Project Director Sri Devi made it clear that no beneficiary should sell their house site to another person. If anyone does this, their allotment would be cancelled immediately.

She also said that the government sanctioned the house sites to fulfil the housing dream of the poor and not for the sale purpose. She said the poor should not sell their house sites as its value would go up to Rs 10 lakh in immediate future.