Dignity housing project for urban BPL families, promises metro rail extension in Telangana

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday presented four families with ownership documents and keys to double-bedroom flats that the state government built at Kollur, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, in Sangareddy district. The state government is calling the project a dignity housing colony as all the beneficiaries are homeless urban families below poverty line (BPL).

The colony, built by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), comprises a total of 15,660 double-bedroom units, each covering an area of 560 square feet. These units are distributed across 117 blocks, with each block featuring two elevators. Spanning an area of 111 acres within a 2.5 km radius, the colony boasts an extensive green space of 25 percent, including playgrounds and recreational facilities. It is a meticulously planned project with an expenditure of Rs 1489.29 crores. Notably, the colony offers various amenities such as dedicated cycling and walking tracks, open-air gyms, indoor sports complexes, a multipurpose playground, an open-air auditorium, and Bathakamma festival ghats.

Housing Minister V Prashant Reddy said that the Kollur project is Asia’s largest community housing project constructed by a state government.

Accompanied by several ministers and senior government officials, CM Rao spent over an hour inspecting the colony. As part of the inauguration program, a photo exhibition showcased the overall progress and achievements of the scheme. The exhibition revealed that a total of one lakh housing units have been constructed under this scheme in and around the state capital. In Hyderabad alone, 9,453 2 BHK units have been built across 38 locations. In Ranga Reddy district, 23,908 units have been constructed at thirty locations. Medchal Malkajgiri district has 38,419 housing units in four segments spread over 33 locations, while Sangareddy district comprises 28,220 units across ten localities.

Later, the CM laid the foundation stone for a Rs 200 crore super-specialty hospital in Patancheru, Sangareddy district. Addressing the gathering, he emphasized the importance of supporting the government that has brought development and welfare schemes to the people. CM Rao mentioned that due to numerous requests, the decision was made to extend the Hyderabad Metro Rail to Patancheru, which would enhance connectivity to the IT corridor and other high-density traffic areas. He added, “The metro rail expansion project would be announced in the first Cabinet meeting after we are elected for the third consecutive term.”