Indiramma housing shocker

• The scheme is under scanner of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments
  
• Both govts order departmental inquiries into misuse of funds since 2007
  
• KCR and Naidu to launch their dream housing projects only after probe report
  
• Records show 1.05 crore houses constructed, but beneficiaries are not more than 60 lakh
  
• Government disbursed money in many cases but there are no houses; many people constructed houses, but money is not received
• The fraud amounts to `200 crore in 600 villages in 9 districts of Telangana alone

Hyderabad: The ambitious Indiramma (Integrated Novel Development in Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas) housing scheme launched by the previous Congress government in the undivided state has come under scanner by both the Telangana and AP governments.

The irregularities came to light when the Telangana Chief Minister who had promised to construct a decent house for poor people got a random survey done in the new state soon after he assumed office. Shocked over the irregularities that came to light, Chandrasekhar Rao has ordered a departmental inquiry into the alleged misuse of funds in the construction of houses. The scheme was launched in 2006-07 by the then Chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

B Venkatesham, Managing Director, Telangana Housing Development Corporation, has been entrusted with the responsibility to prepare a detailed report on the whole housing scheme.

In the preliminary survey, it was found that over Rs 200 crore meant for housing was misappropriated while implementing the scheme in 600 villages in the nine districts of Telangana. The official records show that in many cases the houses were sanctioned to the weaker sections and the money was also released to the beneficiaries. But, at the ground level, the construction of houses had not yet taken off. In some cases, records say that the beneficiaries had received the money disbursed by the government but in reality they had not been deposited in their accounts.

According to the scheme, each unit was to cost Rs 70,000 in rural areas and Rs 80,000 in urban areas. The beneficiaries had been given freedom to construct the house to suit their domestic needs. Over 50 per cent of the 10 lakh beneficiaries in 2013-14 were yet to receive the due amount from the government.

But the official records say that all the beneficiaries had received the amount. Hence KCR has asked the officials to conduct a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities before the T government launches the new housing project under which it proposes to provide “ two bed room unit with attached toilet” as promised during elections Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had also promised to provide houses to all poor sections in the state, held a review meeting recently wherein it was found that over 60 per cent of weaker sections had not been allotted the houses in Seemandhra. According to official sources, Naidu has asked Principal Secretary Housing R Karikal Valven to prepare a detailed report on the extent of misuse of the scheme by the previous government and the role of Congress leaders. Naidu had also expressed his anger over the alleged misuse of funds under the scheme during the brief session of the State Assembly that was held recently. Sources said as per the records, since the inception of the scheme, 1.05 crore houses were completed for the weaker sections. But it is said that only 60 lakh people got actual possession of the houses. This could mean that funds in case of over 40 lakh houses had been misused.