Delay in double bedroom houses allotment triggers concerns in Assembly

BRS MLAs urged the Congress government to expedite allotment of double bedroom houses, citing delays, thefts and lack of infrastructure. The government said funds allocated to take up pending works and promised to address issues.

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators urged the Congress government to speed up allotment of pending double bedroom houses to eligible beneficiaries through a draw of lots. They raised concerns during Question Hour in the Assembly on Wednesday, stating that delays were leading to theft of doors, window frames, plumbing and electrical fittings at several housing sites. The MLAs also asked the government to complete allotments during the ongoing 99-day programme.

BRS MLA from Maheswaram, Sabitha Indra Reddy, said it has been over two and a half years since the Congress came to power. She noted that many housing colonies still lack basic facilities such as lifts and drinking water. Officials plan to allot houses through Indiramma Committee approvals, but warned this could create disputes over beneficiary selection. She suggested continuing the draw of lots system followed during the previous BRS government.

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BRS MLA from Qutbullapur, K P Vivekanand, said around 13,000 houses were built in his constituency, of which 9,000 have been allotted. However, infrastructure remains incomplete in several colonies. He added that shops built in these housing complexes remain vacant. Leasing them out could help residents fund maintenance through rental income. BJP MLA from Nizamabad, Dhanpal Satyanarayana, also flagged theft of fixtures from vacant houses.

Similarly, BRS MLA from Sanathnagar, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, asked how many houses were constructed in Greater Hyderabad after the Congress came to power. He said the previous BRS government had allotted nearly 68,000 houses in the city through a transparent lottery system. He stressed that long-time local residents should be given priority, warning that allotments to outsiders were causing tensions.

Responding to the legislators, Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said 2.31 lakh houses were sanctioned across the State, of which 1.62 lakh have been completed, barring minor infrastructure works at a few places. Within GHMC limits, 78,861 houses were constructed, though some colonies still lack basic amenities. The government has allocated Rs. 738 crore to complete pending works, he said.

The Minister added that out of 23,500 allotted houses in GHMC, nearly 12,000 remain unoccupied due to distance concerns raised by allottees. The beneficiaries have been given two months to occupy them, failing which the houses will be reassigned to eligible applicants within a five to nine km radius.

Speaker G Prasad Kumar directed the Minister to hold a meeting with all MLAs to address the issues. “I had asked you to convene the meeting with MLAs after the last session as well. Conduct the meeting soon after the budget session,” Prasad Kumar said. The Minister, in reply, assured that erstwhile district-wise meetings would be conducted after the budget session.