Canal bund residents yet to receive the good news

Vijayawada: Confusion prevailed among the thousands of families living along the Canal bunds in Vijayawada over the registration of their houses and house site pattas. More than 30,000 families are living on the canal bunds in the city on Eluru canal, Ryves Canal and Budameru Katta stretch which spread from Devi Nagar to Ramavarappadu.

Highlights:

• Government released G.O. for regularisation of house sites below 100 square yards free of cost
• More than 15,000 families live on canal bunds along Eluru canal and Budameru
• Many residents having pucca buildings are eagerly waiting for registration of house sites
• The government may face revolt from these residents, if efforts are made to remove the big buildings built along the Canal bund

The state government had issued a G.O. for the registration of house site pattas, which are below 100 square yards, free of cost. In Vijayawada alone, about one lakh families have encroached upon the government lands which belong to irrigation, municipal corporation, forests and other departments and constructed the houses.

Residents of canal bunds have been eagerly waiting for the registration of their houses for nearly three decades. These families have built pucca houses and VMC and electricity departments have provided basic needs like water supply and power.

Due to non- regularisation of these houses and house sites, these families were not able to get bank loans on these houses. Due to lack of mortgage facilities, these families are depending on money lenders and other sources to meet the financial needs. Besides, insecurity haunts these families about the demolition of their houses because the houses were built in encroached lands particularly related to irrigation, Public Works Department and VMC.

In this backdrop, the decision of the Government for the regularisation of house site pattas raised their hopes on registrations. Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao during his recent visit to the constituency in Andhra Prabha colony and other areas had assured that house site pattas below 100 square yards will be regularised and registered.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is insisting on canals beautification in the city. During the Krishna Pushkaralu period, CM asked the officials several times to take up canal beautification works. If the officials begin the beautification works, thousands of houses will be demolished on canal bunds and people will be forcibly evacuated.

The Government may face revolt from these residents, if efforts are made to remove the big buildings built along the Canal bund. Families living in very small and thatched houses may go to new colonies constructed by Government.

Most of these families will be allocated houses in Jakkampudi colony, where Government is planning to construct 12,000 houses under the PMAY and NTR Nagar scheme. Besides, another 3000 housing units will be ready soon at Ajit Singh Nagar Excel plant area.

B Mohana Rao, Executive Engineer, Housing, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, said the VMC is conducting survey to select the beneficiaries. He hinted that canal bund dwellers will be given priority in allotment of houses.

Encroachments on Bandar canal have been removed long time ago. Similarly, encroachments on Ryves canal were also removed on Samba Murthy road. But, removal of encroachments in Arundalpet has been pending for a long time. Due to various reasons, no political party is trying to remove the encroachments.

By Md Ameen