Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Dr. Ponguru Narayana has alleged that the TIDCO houses built by the previous TDP government across the state were completely destroyed due to the crazy antics of former CM Jaganmohan Reddy. He was furious that the beneficiaries selected by the previous TDP government were changed too much.
In AP Assembly, he said that the previous YSRCP government, which took loans from the beneficiaries and used them, committed irregularities by not even depositing the DDs made as advances in the banks. He was furious that the good colors painted on the TIDCO houses built during the TDP regime were erased and YSRCP colors were painted.
He said that a probe will be conducted into the Jagan regime’s irregularities in TIDCO houses and a committee will be formed to address the problem of contractors who are facing difficulties in receiving bills . In a short discussion on TIDCO houses in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Minister Narayana explained to the House what has happened so far in the TIDCO house issue.
Dr Narayana said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided between 2014-19 that everyone should have their own house by 2022. At that time, Venkaiah Naidu was the Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development at the Center. After holding several discussions with him, we sanctioned 7,01,481 TIDCO houses to AP, more than any other state in the country.
Out of these, we initially gave administrative permission for the construction of 5 lakh houses. We called tenders for the construction of 4,54,704 houses in July 2017 and immediately started the construction of those houses. By the time the government changed in the state, i.e. by May 2019, we had completed the construction of 77,371 houses.
However, the Jaganmohan Reddy government that came later destroyed the houses built for the poor with a bias towards partisanship. Out of the 5 lakh houses sanctioned by the TDP government, 2,38,368 houses were cancelled. Only 2,62,640 houses were kept. Out of these, only 57,000 houses were completed with basic facilities in the last five years.
Earlier, during the TDP government’s rule, it was said that another 1.10 lakh houses, which were 90 percent complete, were completed. But they were only in name. All the remaining houses were left as they were. Moreover, the Jagan government changed many of the beneficiaries selected for TIDCO houses at will.
Houses with less than 25 percent completion were completely stopped. Due to this half-term stoppage of 52,000 houses, Rs. 339 crores of public money was wasted. Rs. 540 crores of bills were left pending without being paid to the contractors who did the work. Waiver on mobilization advances during Corona is pending Rs. 110 crore. Under deviation of items, Rs. 1,225 crore is pending. Price adjustment is pending Rs. 189 crore.
