Mahabubnagar : 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 such as 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 75,000 to Rs 1.10 lakh 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 Regularisation Schemes (LRS) many times to regularise the unauthorised plots and layouts, so that those who had purchased the plots and built houses in the unrecognised layouts, it enabled them to regularise with some nominal fees. Moreover, 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.

However, experts and senior from the district planning and municipality are of the opinion, earlier people were at the risk of not adhering to proper planning and it led to unnecessary legal complications. With the new policy of the State government of compulsorily adhering to rules and regulations of HMDA regulations, it will help people to get permission for building houses without any hassles and moreover unlike earlier the new rules and regulations have removed the possibility for corruption for getting permission for building the houses.

'Policy has no clarity'

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

"On one hand the State government had promised to provided double bedroom houses to all those eligible poor, which is a good move as the poor can benefit from it. But if one looks on the ground, did the state government really fulfill its promise of providing double bedroom houses to all those poor in the villages. At least in my village not a single poor person had got the double bedroom. 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.

'Rs 3 lakh scheme a gimmick'

When referred to the State government's new policy of providing Rs 3 lakh to build houses for those who have their own land or plot, Shankar Nayak, opined that it is 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 affordable in these times. "Building a double bedroom house at current prices will cost a minimum of Rs 25-30 lakh only for construction with good quality and standard materials. The buying of a plot in a region like Jadcherla municipality within the 1 to 2 km range will cost no less than from another Rs 25-50 lakh 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 lakh," observed Govind Ramulu.

The public is of the opinion that State government must bring such policy where in it should help everyone to build a house at affordable costs.

"Even though 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," observed Paramesh Goud, an advocate.