Chandrababu Naidu sets target of 19 lakh houses by 2019

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had set a target of completion of 19 lakh houses by 2019, said Minister for Rural Housing Kalava Srinvasulu. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday, he said the total cost of construction is estimated to be Rs 50,000 crore.

The Minister said the Chief Minister would hand over three lakh houses to the poor and marginalised sections in the State on Thursday at a mega house warming event. Chandrababu Naidu will participate in a public meeting in Vijayawada on the occasion. The Minister pointed out that it would be one of the largest programmes of distribution of houses in the country.

It is also the second programme of distribution of houses to the poor within one year. In the first phase, the State government organised house warming programme for more than one lakh houses. Despite facing financial constraints following the State bifurcation, the State government has been generously spending money on the housing scheme, the Minister said.

On the other hand, the Central government was not giving sufficient support for construction of houses to the poor in the State, he regretted. It is estimated that there is a demand for 31 lakh houses in the State, according to the Praja Sadhikara Survey (People Pulse Survey).

After processing the information through expert body, the State government arrived at the actual demand of constructing 21.97 lakh houses for the poor. But the Central government was not considering the latest demand from the poor and confined itself only to 2011 Census data, he
explained.

Even though the Centre was not responding to the appeal of the State government in this regard, Chandrababu Naidu decided to construct at least 19 lakh houses by 2019, he said. He maintained that the State was asking the Central government to extend support for at least another five lakh houses.