Affordable housing a distant dream for middle-class

Mahabubnagar: Ever since the beginning of the Telangana state and with the state government brining new policy of new plot layouts even in the rural parts like small villages to strictly abide and adhere to HMDA layout rules and regulations, it has led to increase of real estate prices sky rocketing making affordable housing for the middle and lower middle class a far fetch dream.

According to Pandaiah, a real estate broker from Mahabubnagar, earlier they had made many layouts with the permit of Gram Panchayati and as the cost of the land and expenses to prepare the layouts was not so high, it enabled them to sell the plots at much lower prices as low as Rs. 75000 to Rs. 1.10 lakhs per 100 square yard plot. However, soon after the state government of Telangana came into power, all the layouts approved by the Gram panchayati were asked to reregister with HMDA layout regulations or with compulsory DTCP layout regulations and the cost of abiding by these new layout regulations has led to increase in the prices of plots making it tough for the common man to buy a piece of land to build a house at affordable costs, observed Pandaiah.

In fact, earlier the state government had brought in the land regularization schemes (LRS) many times to regularize the unauthorized plots and layouts, so that those who had purchased the plots and built houses in the unrecognized layouts, it enabled them to regularize with some nominal fees and more over the earlier policy did not bind the common man to hardships of paying unnecessary high prices for buying a plot and they could get the plots and build houses at affordable costs.

With the new policy of the State of compulsorily adhering to HMDA regulations, it will help people to get permission for building houses without any hassles and unlike earlier new rules and regulations have removed the possibility for corruption for getting permission for building the houses.

Shankar Nayak of Mangali Kunta village opined that government's new policy has no clarity. Many layouts which were formed before Telangana and plots sold had to bear the brunt of new policy as they neither could buy new plots in the old layouts nor they could sell their plots.

"The State had promised to provided houses to all those eligible poor. And what about the middle and lower middle-class people. Don't they need houses? What has the government done for them, except putting hurdles in the name of new planning regulations and leading to increasing real estate prices benefitting the brokers and layout making companies, the middle man and the common man who wish to build a house has gained nothing from the government's policies," said Shankar Nayak.

Referring to State government's new policy of providing Rs 3 lakh to build houses for those who have their own land or plot, Shankar, called it all election gimmick and to fool the people for votes once again. Had the government was really sincere and honestly wanted the middle and lower middle-class people to own a house it would have rolled out such a plan long before and helped people benefit from the scheme.

Govind Ramulu of Jadcherla mandal who is a real-estate broker says that building a house for the common man is non-affordable in these times. "Building a double bedroom house at current prices will cost a minimum of Rs 25-30 lakhs only for construction with good quality and standard materials. The buying of a plot in a region like Jadcherla municipality within the 1-2 kilometers of range will cost no less than from another Rs. 25-50 lakhs for a 150-200 square yard plot. So, for a common man to build a house it will overall cost not less than Rs. 50 lakhs," observed Govind Ramulu.

In view of this, the public are of the opinion that the state government must bring such a policy where in it should help everyone to build a house at affordable costs. "Even though the state government has decided to make layouts and selling plots in some areas in government lands, seeing the prices of the plots in those layouts it clearly speaks that it is meant to do business to fill its coffers and not serve the common and middle class people to own a house at affordable costs," said Paramesh Goud, an advocate.