HYDERABAD: Toning down the political enmity with opposition parties, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K T Rama Rao urged political parties, indirectly referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to set aside political and ideological differences and strive to work for the welfare of the people and state. He was speaking at an event that was also attended by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.
Rama Rao said it is fine for parties and candidates to fight elections and emerge victorious but afterwards, the elected leaders irrespective of their political affiliations should work together and extend their cooperation for the welfare of the poor, besides development of the state.
Inaugurating 126 double bedroom dignity houses (2BHK) built at a cost of Rs 10.89 crore at Lambada Thanda in Bagh Lingampally here on Saturday, Rama Rao warned the beneficiaries that the state government would cancel their pattas, if they give their houses for rent or sell them to any person. The state government has spent nearly Rs 8.65 lakh on each house and the market value of the same house would be between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 50 lakh.
He further said that the Telangana government has allocated a whopping Rs 18,000 crore for the 2 BHK housing scheme in the state including one lakh 2BHK houses in the Greater Hyderabad limits at an estimated cost of Rs 9,714 crore. He added that Telangana is the only state in the country which has taken up such massive housing projects for the poor and weaker sections of the society.
Rama Rao further appealed to the beneficiaries of 2 BHK to keep their surroundings clean and see that garbage is lifted on a daily basis and premises are clean so that diseases are kept away. Today, the entire world is forced to wear masks to protect against COVID-19, he noted.
Rama Rao appealed to Kishan Reddy to pursue with the central government the handing over of defence lands in the city for taking up development work. He said the state government has proposed construction of a flyover at Rasoolpura and work could not be taken up as a portion of defence land was required for the purpose. Similarly, in Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) limits, poor people were aspiring for land pattas. If the same was allotted, a double bedroom housing project in SCB limits could be taken up, he said.
The minister also laid the foundation for construction of a new zonal office building at Domalguda and a model market at the vegetable market premises in Narayanguda, multipurpose sports complex at Adikmet and twin reservoirs of 5 ML capacity at L B Nagar.
Kishan Reddy said the state government should ensure housing for the needy as there are a lot of poor people living in Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. He wanted the state government to construct 2BHK for them so as to make Hyderabad a slum-free city.