Hyderabad: The Telangana Government began the Indiramma Towers lottery for about 8,000 flats across 16 Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad.
Revenue, Housing and Information & Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said eligibility would remain the only criterion for selecting beneficiaries. Therefore, caste, religion and political affiliation would not influence the process.
The first phase covers the Core Urban Region (CUR). Officials are conducting the draws in the presence of eligible applicants and media representatives.
Meanwhile, officials are streaming the proceedings live through social media platforms. This arrangement aims to ensure transparency and prevent doubts over flat allotments.
On Friday, officials conducted draws for Nampally, Quthbullapur, Secunderabad and Rajendranagar constituencies. Ponguleti participated in the draws at Vet Gardens in Red Hills and Lakshmiguda.
The Minister said the process would continue until August 31. Accordingly, officials are conducting draws for four constituencies each day.
Each constituency has 480 flats. However, officials are selecting 600 applicants through the draw.
After the draw, officials will conduct field-level verification. If they find any selected applicant ineligible, an eligible applicant among the remaining 120 will get the opportunity.
Ponguleti said this arrangement would help ensure that eligible poor families received the benefit.
The Minister also recalled that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for Indiramma Towers at KPHB Colony in Kukatpally on August 13.
He said the Government invited tenders for towers in 16 constituencies within a short period. At the same time, officials began beneficiary selection through the lottery.
Indiramma Towers lottery expands housing support
The Government has set a target of one lakh houses in the first phase within the CUR area. In addition, land identification has finished in four more constituencies.
Applications for Indiramma houses in those constituencies will remain open until September 3, the Minister said.
Ponguleti said the Congress Government sanctioned 4.50 lakh Indiramma houses across Telangana during its first year. More than two lakh houses had already been completed, he said.
The State Government is providing Rs.5 lakh for each house in four instalments. Meanwhile, payments for the final instalment have also started.
For the second phase, the Government sanctioned another 2.50 lakh houses. Officials are now accelerating the beneficiary selection process.
According to the Minister, the second-phase selection could finish within another 10 days.
Ponguleti said giving poor families their own homes was a priority for the Government. Moreover, he said families should live with dignity even in areas where land values were high.
Eligible beneficiaries who receive flats in Indiramma Towers will get registration without paying any amount. After 10 years, they can sell the house according to their needs.
Before that period, beneficiaries can also pledge their registration documents with banks to obtain loans during emergencies, the Minister said.
Each allotted home will cover about 525 square feet. Additionally, it will include an undivided land share of about 17 to 20 square yards.
Depending on the site, the Government will construct towers of up to 10 floors. Lifts and other required infrastructure will also form part of the projects.
After the lottery, officials will complete final verification and issue certificates. Subsequently, Ponguleti said construction work would begin within three to four days after verification.
Beneficiaries will also have the opportunity to monitor construction work on their homes.
Flat allocation follows social reservation norms
At the Nampally lottery, officials first conducted the draw for the Scheduled Caste category. They placed slips carrying the names of 288 applicants into a drum for 67 flats under the 14 per cent reservation.
Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, local MLA Majid Hussain, Housing MD V.P. Gautham, Collector Priyanka and other officials attended the draw.
The beneficiaries themselves picked the slips. Marakalu Krishnaveni secured the first SC-category flat through the draw.
Subsequently, T. Anitha, Manganuri Anasuya, M. Kumari and Shailajakumari were selected.
The Minister said every constituency would follow reservation norms based on social justice. SCs will receive 14 per cent and STs 5 per cent.
BCs will receive 16 per cent. Similarly, persons with disabilities will have a 5 per cent reservation.
Sanitation workers, Class-IV employees and outsourcing employees will each receive 10 per cent reservations.
The flats will have 50 per cent reservations in total. In addition, women will receive a 30 per cent reservation, Ponguleti said.
The Indiramma Towers lottery will cover the first set of flats under the tower housing initiative. The Government has set the wider target of one lakh homes in the first phase within the CUR area.
Finally, the Minister cautioned applicants against approaching intermediaries. He said officials would follow the Government’s prescribed guidelines throughout the allotment process.