Amaravati, July 29 : The Andhra Pradesh government announced on Monday that it will build 1.25 lakh in the coming 100 days and 8.25 lakh houses in a year as part of its efforts to achieve the target of houses for all poor by 2029.

The government also decided to give house sites to new beneficiaries.

While beneficiaries in villages will be given three cents of land, those in urban areas will be allotted two cents each.

In the lands acquired by the previous government for house sites, the beneficiaries will be allotted three cents each.

These decisions were taken at a review meeting of the Housing Department, which was chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Housing and Information & Public Relations Minister K. Parthasaradhi told media persons that the meeting had a detailed review of the current status of the housing programme and decisions were taken to fulfil the promises made in the elections.

The meeting also set the goals to achieve the target. It was decided to build affordable houses for people from the middle class, lower middle class, and journalists under the Central scheme Asra. These affordable housing projects will be designed on the lines of Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar and Kukatpally Housing Board in Hyderabad. A survey will be conducted to prepare an action plan in this regard.

The meeting noted that the previous government showed discrimination towards beneficiaries under the NTR housing scheme and despite the completion of houses, payments were not made to them. The Chief Minister directed officials to make payments immediately to all such beneficiaries.

Naidu also responded positively on entrusting the task of building houses under Polavaram R&R. The previous government did not provide basic amenities after allotting house sites. The Chief Minister asked officials to provide basic amenities at all such places.

He said that during the last five years, injustice was meted out to the poor to the tune of Rs 9,000 to Rs 10,000 crore in housing schemes. The YSRCP government claimed that it was a people's government but imposed an economic burden on the poor, he said, adding said former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy denied benefits to SCs, STs and BCs despite making tall claims.

He recalled that between 2014 and 2019 when his TDP was in power, SCs and STs were given Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh each in addition to unit cost of Rs 2.50 lakh.

The minister said in the Union Budget, it was announced that houses to be built at a cost of Rs 4 lakh per unit will be sanctioned from March next year. In view of this, eligible beneficiaries will be identified across the state and for this, a survey will be conducted. He said the state Housing Department had taken up construction of 8 lakh houses under PMAY scheme Asra. The minister said their government would complete these houses. Beneficiaries will be identified for sanctioning houses under PMAY 2.0.

/IANS