Hyderabad: Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy challenged BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao over the Telangana housing programme and claimed the Congress government would construct more houses than the previous BRS administration.
During a media briefing at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Ponguleti said he would not contest the next Assembly elections if the Congress government failed to build more houses in the next two-and-a-half years than those constructed during the ten-year BRS rule in Hyderabad.
The minister also questioned whether KTR would stay away from contesting elections if the Congress government surpassed the previous housing numbers.
Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy addressed the media along with ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Mohammed Azharuddin and MLA leader Rajender.
Telangana housing programme focuses on Indiramma houses
The minister said the Congress government would seek votes in villages where Indiramma houses were constructed.
He criticised BRS leaders for making remarks against the housing programme and announced that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy would soon lay the foundation stone for 1 lakh Indiramma houses in the Cure area within the ORR limits.
Ponguleti also stated that the government planned to sanction another 1 lakh houses for urban areas during the third phase of the programme.
According to the minister, the government was treating every Assembly constituency as a separate unit for housing construction.
He added that officials had already identified 39 to 40 locations within 12 days after beginning site inspections in 24 Assembly constituencies.
The minister stated that authorities would construct Indiramma houses on government lands ranging from 1,000 square yards to 25 acres.
Telangana housing programme includes redevelopment plans
Ponguleti said several housing blocks built nearly 40 years ago in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts had become dilapidated.
He stated that the Congress government planned to replace old G+2 housing structures and provide better living conditions for poor families.
Earlier, the minister inspected several areas in Hyderabad, including Jiyaguda Police Quarters in Asifnagar, Mangar Basti, Bombay Colony, Nampally Red Hills, Malakpet and Falaknuma.
During the visit, Ponguleti directed officials to speed up preparation of housing construction plans on vacant government lands and dilapidated sites.
He also interacted with residents living in damaged housing blocks and enquired about their problems.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, MLA Majid Hussain and other public representatives participated in the inspections.