Andhra CM 'betraying' poor women by cancelling housing plots allotted to them: Jagan

Amaravati, Sep 18 (PTI) Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of "betraying" lakhs of poor women by cancelling the house site pattas (documents) allotted to them during the previous YSRCP government.

The YSRCP supremo said that these pattas were distributed under the 'Pedalandariki Illu' (houses for all the poor) scheme and called Naidu's action an 'anti-poor decision', and vowed to fight it both legally and politically.

"Who gave you (Naidu) the authority to cancel the housing sites registered for poor sisters? Instead of standing by them to build their houses, how could you grab the sites given during our regime (previous YSRCP regime)," said Reddy in a post on 'X'.

He recalled that during his five-year tenure as the CM between 2019 and 2024, a "historic" housing programme was launched to provide house sites to all eligible poor families.

A total of 31.19 lakh pattas were distributed to women beneficiaries, covering 71,800 acres of land, he said, adding that the previous government had spent Rs 11,871 crore for land acquisition whereas the market value of those lands was estimated at over Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Each site, he pointed out, was worth between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, securing real asset ownership for lakhs of families.

According to Reddy, 21.75 lakh houses were sanctioned with the creation of 17,005 colonies across the state.

Despite Covid-19 challenges, construction of over nine lakh houses were completed and on October 12, 2023, a record number of 7.43 lakh houses were inaugurated on a single day, setting a national benchmark, said Reddy.

Beneficiaries were also provided subsidised cement, steel, free sand, and interest-free loans, ensuring an additional benefit of Rs 2.7 lakh per family, along with central grants, he observed.

The YSRCP chief alleged that the TDP-led NDA government has neither built even a single house in 16 months nor purchased even an acre of land for housing purposes.

Instead, it has chosen to cancel pattas given to the poor and divert prime lands to private industrial parks, exposing its "pro-rich and anti-poor" stance, Reddy claimed.

"This is nothing but a government of cancellations, not welfare. The poor gave Chandrababu power expecting support, not betrayal. YSRCP will not remain silent. We will fight legally and politically to protect the rights of every poor family whose dream of owning a home is being destroyed," Reddy said.

Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP. PTI STH KH