The dream of owning a house for poor families has once again become the center of political controversy in Andhra Pradesh. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), alleging that the government has completely failed to fulfill its election promise of providing 3 cents of house sites in villages and 2 cents in urban areas to eligible beneficiaries.
YSRCP also alleges that after coming to power, the TDP government cancelled 50,793 house site pattas distributed under the previous Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government within the CRDA limits without providing alternative land, leaving thousands of poor families in uncertainty. The party further accuses IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh of turning the regularization of long-occupied house sites in Mangalagiri into a publicity exercise instead of introducing any new welfare initiative.
Big Promises, But No Implementation?
During the Assembly election campaign, the TDP promised to allot:
- 3 cents of land for house construction in villages.
- 2 cents of land in urban areas.
However, according to YSRCP, nearly two years after assuming office:
- No fresh house site pattas have been distributed to the poor.
- No major new housing projects have been launched.
- Even the housing projects initiated by the previous government have not been completed with urgency.
The opposition alleges that the government has neglected the housing needs of economically weaker sections despite its election commitments.
50,793 House Site Pattas in CRDA Cancelled, Says YSRCP
Under the “Navaratnalu – Pedalandariki Illu” housing scheme, the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government distributed house sites across 1,402 acres to 50,793 poor women belonging to Guntur and NTR districts within the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) limits.
YSRCP claims that the TDP opposed the initiative from the very beginning by:
- Challenging the scheme in courts.
- Arguing that allotting house sites to poor families in the capital region would disturb social balance.
- Creating legal hurdles that delayed housing construction.
After returning to power in 2024, the TDP government allegedly cancelled all the pattas issued in the CRDA region.
YSRCP further alleges that despite cancelling the allotments, the government has not identified or allotted alternative sites to nearly 51,000 beneficiaries, leaving thousands of families without housing security.
Mangalagiri Programme Called a Publicity Exercise
According to YSRCP, the government is now regularizing house sites that people have been occupying for several years and presenting the exercise as a new welfare initiative.
The party alleges that:
- No new house sites are being distributed.
- Existing settlements are merely being legalized.
- The government is projecting regularization as a major achievement to gain political mileage.
YSRCP describes the exercise as misleading and says it fails to address the promise of providing fresh housing benefits.
31 Lakh Women Received Free House Sites During Jagan’s Tenure
YSRCP says that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy:
- More than 31 lakh poor women received free house site pattas across Andhra Pradesh.
- Over 17,000 YSR and Jagananna colonies were established.
- More than 19 lakh houses were sanctioned for construction.
- An additional 2.62 lakh TIDCO houses were made available for beneficiaries.
The party says the housing programme became one of the largest welfare initiatives implemented in the state.
Housing Programme Continued Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic
YSRCP maintains that despite the severe disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns during 2020 and 2021:
- Distribution of free house sites continued.
- Housing construction works did not come to a halt.
According to the party, by the time of the 2024 Assembly elections:
- More than 9 lakh houses had been completed and handed over to beneficiaries.
- More than 8 lakh houses were under construction.
- Around 1.28 lakh houses had reached the slab completion stage.
- Nearly 99,000 houses were at the slab construction stage.
Government Accused of Taking Credit for Nearly Completed Houses
YSRCP alleges that the present government merely painted houses that were almost complete and attempted to showcase them as achievements of the current administration.
The party claims that this effort has already been exposed before the public and has drawn criticism.
Housing Scheme Empowered Women Financially, Says YSRCP
According to YSRCP, the previous government transferred ownership of house sites worth over ₹76,000 crore in market value to more than 31 lakh poor women, thereby creating valuable assets in their names.
The party also states that beneficiaries received:
- ₹1.80 lakh financial assistance for house construction.
- ₹35,000 low-interest loans through Self-Help Groups.
- Free sand worth up to ₹15,000.
- Subsidized steel, cement, and 12 categories of construction materials worth nearly ₹40,000.
Overall, YSRCP claims each beneficiary received government support worth approximately ₹2.70 lakh for construction, apart from the value of the house site.
House Site Value Ranged from ₹2.5 Lakh to ₹15 Lakh
YSRCP says the market value of the house sites allotted to poor women varied depending on the location, ranging from:
- ₹2.5 lakh
- Up to ₹15 lakh
The party argues that when combined with free housing assistance and construction support, the scheme created valuable permanent assets for poor families across Andhra Pradesh.
When Will the Poor Receive New Housing Benefits?
The issue of housing for the poor has once again become a major political debate in Andhra Pradesh.
YSRCP alleges that the present government has failed to fulfill its election promise of providing fresh house sites, cancelled over 50,000 CRDA pattas without offering alternative land, and focused more on publicity than new welfare measures.
At the same time, the party highlights that during Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, more than 31 lakh women received free house sites, over 21 lakh houses were sanctioned, and more than 9 lakh houses were completed, describing it as a landmark housing programme for the poor.
YSRCP has demanded that the government move beyond publicity campaigns and take concrete steps to distribute new house sites and accelerate housing construction for eligible beneficiaries.
