AMARAVATI: YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of betraying lakhs of poor women by cancelling the house site pattas allotted by the previous government under the Pedalandariki Illu scheme.
YS Jagan said this "anti-poor" decision would be resisted at every step and assured that YSRCP will fight it both legally and politically.
In a post on the social media platform 'X', he recalled that during his five-year tenure, a historic housing programme was launched to provide house sites to all eligible poor families.
A total of 31, 19, 000 pattas were distributed in the names of women beneficiaries, covering 71, 800 acres of land.
The government spent Rs 11, 871 crore for land acquisition, while the market value of these lands was estimated at over Rs 1, 50, 000 crore. Each site, he pointed out, was worth between Rs 2, 50, 000 and Rs 15, 00, 000, securing real asset ownership for lakhs of families, he said.
The YSRCP said that its government had sanctioned 21, 75, 000 houses, with 17, 005 colonies created across the state. Despite Covid challenges, the construction of over 9, 00, 000 houses was completed. On October 12, 2023, a record 7, 43, 000 houses were inaugurated in a single day, setting a national benchmark. Beneficiaries were also provided subsidised cement, steel, free sand, and interest-free loans, ensuring an additional benefit of Rs. 2, 70, 000 per family, along with central grants.
In sharp contrast, Jagan said, the present TDP-led coalition has not built a single house in 16 months nor purchased even an acre of land for housing. Instead, it has chosen to cancel pattas given to the poor and divert prime lands to private industrial parks, exposing its pro-rich, anti-poor stance.