Housing Scheme : 4 lakh to get Rs 3 lakh each for 2BHK house construction under ‘Gruha Lakshmi

With hardly nine months left for the State to go to Assembly polls, the State Cabinet, which met here on Thursday, announced several sops to weaker sections, tribals and SCs.The Cabinet decided to give Rs 3 lakh grant to each of the 4 lakh beneficiaries for constructing 2BHK houses.

The grant will be given to those who have own house sites and the new scheme is christened as “Gruha Lakshmi”. Providing Rs 3 lakh to the poor for house construction was proposed two years back, but it could not take off due to Covid-induced financial turbulence.

However, Rs 12,000 crore was earmarked for the 2BHK housing scheme in 2023-24 Budget. The State government will extend the benefit to 3,000 beneficiaries each in 119 Assembly segments. Another, 43,000 houses will be sanctioned under State quota. The amount will be released in the name of women. Gruha Lakshmi scheme will be started immediately.

The Cabinet also ratified the earlier decision of the government to waive Rs 4,000 crore dues owed by the weaker-sections, who got around 30 lakh houses during the Congress and the TDP regimes. The State government will clear the loan amount and the bankers should not contact the beneficiaries, the Cabinet decided. The State Cabinet also decided to start second phase of Dalit Bandhu scheme in 118 Assembly segments immediately. The second phase of  the scheme will be extended to 1.3 lakh families.

Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Finance Minister T Harish Rao said that the Dalit Bandhu scheme was launched on August 16, 2021, and it was fully implemented in Huzurabad Assembly segment. “The Cabinet decided to celebrate Dalit Bandhu day every year on August 16,” Harish Rao said. In all, 1,29,000 families will get Dalit Bandhu in 118 Assembly segments. In each Assembly segment, 1,100 SCs will get Dalit Bandhu amounts. Another 200 units would be kept with Chief Secretary to release them to eligible persons.

The third scheme, the Cabinet approved is to start the second phase of sheep distribution. “We have decided to give sheep units to 7.31 lakh beneficiaries. Out of which, 50 per cent units have already been distributed. Now, the remaining 50 per cent units will be distributed,” Harish Rao said. The Cabinet sanctioned Rs 4,463 crore for second phase programme to be distributed from April to August this year.

The State Cabinet also decided to distribute four lakh acres of Podu land to 1,55,393 beneficiaries. The identification of other beneficiaries for Podu land distribution will be continued in future. The 125-feet Dr BR Ambedkar statue will be inaugurated on April 14 in Hyderabad.  All SCs from across the State will be mobilised for the event. A huge public meeting will be organised in Hyderabad after inauguration of the statue.

GO 58 AND 59: The Cabinet decided to extend the date for applying for regularisation of houses under GO 58 and GO 59. The cut-off date too was fixed as 2020 instead of 2014 fixed earlier.  Harish Rao said that the government decided to give one more opportunity to the people for applying for the scheme. He said that the government gave pattas to 1,45,668 people under GO 58. Still, some poor people were left out and one more month time would be given to them to apply for the same. According to the minister, 42,000 benefited under 59 GO so far.

The State Cabinet also decided to construct two guest houses at Kashi and Sabarimala for the benefit of Telangana devotees, who are visiting the two holy places. Each guest house will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore each. A total Rs 50 crore was sanctioned by the Cabinet for the two proposed guest houses. If the government land was not available in Kashi, then the government would acquire private land and construct a guest house there. The State government already approached Kerala seeking allotment of land for a guest house.

The Cabinet decided to distribute the 2BHK houses, which have already been constructed in several districts in the State. The State Cabinet did not discuss the nomination of two MLC candidates under the Governor quota. “As the two vacancies will fall vacant in May, the Cabinet did not take any decision on it,” said Harish Rao.

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