Minister slams Centre over delay in releasing funds for Indiramma scheme

Hyderabad: Telangana revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy slammed the Centre for not providing funds to Indiramma housing scheme since March, amounting to about ₹1.13 lakh per house. He said if the Centre does not release the funds, the state govt would have to bear the cost.

During a media interaction at the Secretariat on Saturday, he said in phase I, over 3.50 lakh Indiramma houses were sanctioned and about 1.32 lakh houses completed so far. By the end of June, the construction of 68,000 to 72,000 houses would be completed up to the slab level. Phase II of Indiramma housing scheme would be launched by CM Revanth Reddy on June 2 in Adilabad, the minister said.

Srinivas Reddy said the state govt had directed the contractors to complete the unfinished 2BHK houses from the previous government at old rates. Collectors have been instructed to identify such houses by the end of this month.

“Instructions have been given to finalise the boundaries accurately. The 1/70 issue was also discussed. There have been land boundary disputes between revenue and forest areas for several decades in the state, and a joint survey will be conducted to provide a permanent solution,” the revenue minister said.

Collectors have been instructed to provide a comprehensive report on such issues. There is no question of leaving encroachers. Where necessary, protection will be provided to government lands with a boundary wall, the minister said.