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Reclaim Unused Lands to Build Houses for Poor: CM KCR

Citing the Intensive Household Survey, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said Wednesday there were at least two lakh homeless poor in the State and felt lands allotted to educational institutions, universities, clubs and even government offices in the city, if unused thus far, may be used to build houses for them.

KCR, who held a review meeting with officials of the housing department, said his government was keen on building two-bedroom houses to the houseless poor.

Speaking after the four-hour long meeting, KCR wondered, “If the government can give away thousands of acres for luxuries, entertainment and leisure of the rich, why can’t it use the same valuable land for constructing houses to the houseless poor?’’

He further pointed out that tens of acres were given away to government offices, hundreds of acres to even small educational institutions and thousands to universities and clubs. “However, a good portion of these allotted lands has been unused. Utilising the unused land of these institutions for constructing houses to the poor can be an option,’’ he said, adding that the government would construct double bedroom houses to the poor in high-rise buildings in 2,000 acres. He instructed the officials to start the process of land acquisition soon.

“There is a notion that houses for the poor will be constructed on the outskirts of the city. It should not be the case. These houses should be in the heart of the city and if possible, in Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills,’’ he said and added there was no dearth of funds for the same.

Comparing the project to providing drinking water to each and every household,

he said the entire exercise cannot be completed in a day or two. “We will complete this scheme phase wise,’’ he said.

Rao also cautioned the officials to ensure that land grabbers and ineligible people do not get benefited by the scheme. “Take the help of revenue and intelligence wings to select genuine beneficiaries,” he suggested and directed GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar to start land acquisition.

Source: The New Indian Express

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