3 Years of YS Jagan’s Rule: Fulfilling Dreams of Own House for Poor

Houses are being built for the poor, goes the cliche, but in YS Jagan’s government the maxim has changed. The YSR Congress government is not just building houses, it’s setting up whole villages. And, the number of these settlements is astonishingly huge — 17,000 plus. 

Under the housing scheme for the underprivileged, not only the beneficiaries are given housing sites, but dwellings are also built on them for free. By the time the two phases of the housing project are completed, approximately 31 lakh families throughout the state will have their own dream houses. 

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is giving top priority to the housing scheme.  The concerned department has been instructed to use quality material in the construction of houses and complete the construction works on time. 

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who took the Praja Sankalpa Yatra to get a first hand account of the people’s living conditions in the state, promised to build houses for all the impoverished people if he came to power. He witnessed the hardships of the homeless poor during his walkathon.  

Keeping his word, after becoming the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the housing scheme for the poor. 
Lakhs of beneficiaries have already received house site pattas from the government. The construction works are going on in the allotted plots. 
Those who are living in rented houses and are struggling to pay monthly rent, as well as those who live in huts and have waited for years for a pucca house are now busy with the construction of their own houses.

Meet Prasad, a mason who is constructing houses for a living but has no own house. Prasad and his wife were living in a rented house at Pallapu Anandapuram Vuri in Anakapalli district until they received a pucca house under the state government’s housing scheme. They were struggling to pay a rent of Rs 1,000 due to lack of work and health issues.

“The YS Jagan government gave us land and a loan to build a house on it. The staff of Village/Ward secretariat have given us proper guidance With the government’s help, we have been able to realise our dream of owning a house,” says Nagini, wife of Prasad 

The couple, who have struggled for eight years after their marriage, in managing the household chores are now relieved after having the roof of their own.  

Nagini expressed her happiness that the impoverished people were given prime land close to the main road in the village. She said the secretariat employees and volunteers were cooperative and helped them at every step in building their house. As Prasad is a mason, the construction work proved easier both for the secretariat volunteers and the couple. She said, the public welfare schemes being implemented by the chief minister YS Jagan are helping the development of the poor in the society. Nagini said the government has done a better job by making the woman a beneficiary of the housing scheme. 

“The housing sites pattas were issued in the name of women beneficiaries and this is a good step. Now, the husbands need their spouses permission if they want to rent out or sell the property. As a tenant we had a fair share of problems. We couldn’t invite our relatives and the house owner would have problems with people visiting our house. The YS jagan government has solved our major problem,” Nagini added. 

Also Read: 3 Years Of YS Jagan Rule: YSR Pension Kanuka Bringing Smiles To The Door Steps Of Millions

Let’s speak to another beneficiary of the state housing scheme in Manchala village of Chebrolu mandal in Guntur district. Veerla Venkayya and his wife Samrajyam, an elderly labour couple, have been living under this thatched roof for decades. The poor elderly couple’s son, daughter-in-law and a grandson are also living with them in this hut. During the rainy season, the roof leaks and strong winds blow away the roof. The Venkayya family has endured these hardships for over 40 years. Now, the YS Jagan government has given the poor couple a respectable place to live in through its housing scheme.  A pucca house is being built for them and the elderly couple are happy to move in.  

You will hear many such stories across the state of how the lives of these poor people are changing after the introduction of village district secretariats and the volunteer system. These volunteers proactively visit the impoverished people and explain to them the benefits of availing public welfare schemes. When the volunteers visited Veerla Venkayya’s house and told him that he was eligible to get a pucca house, the poor couple didn't believe them. But when they saw the construction of houses in the area and when they received the housing site patta as proof they believed the volunteers as their dream of living under a CC roof was being fulfilled. 

“The volunteers visited us and have done the complete paperwork to get the house under the government housing scheme. I’m thankful to the YS Jagan government for giving us a concrete roof over our heads,” Veerla Samrajyam said. 

Housing scheme is one of the flagship programmes of the YS Jagan government seeking to provide housing for the poor people. As the country celebrates 75 years of independence, it pains to see people living in shanties. Chief Minister YS Jagan is determined to fulfil the poor people’s dream of owning a house. A total of 76 poor families living in the Manchala village do not own a house and live in thatched huts. To fulfil the aspirations of poor people, the government bought 1 acre and 86 cent of land and is constructing pucca houses with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore. Veerla Venkaiah's family and other beneficiaries will soon occupy these homes.

“We never thought we would ever own a house. The YS Jagan government has made it possible for us. The village secretariat volunteers have helped us right from the registration of name as a housing scheme beneficiary,” says Veerla Venkaiah, local, Manchala

The poor labourers live hand to mouth as the wages earned by them are enough to feed themselves for a day. If they manage to save something from their daily wages, it gets spent during the emergency. In this situation, the poor cannot think of building a house for their family. The Andhra Pradesh government is fulfilling the aspirations of impoverished people through the housing scheme and has changed the lives of laksh of families in the state. This initiative will help the families rise above the poverty line.  

Under YS Jagan’s rule, the poor people are seeing better days. Women are being made owners of property worth lakhs of rupees through the housing scheme which never happened in the past. The Andhra Pradesh government is redefining women's empowerment by bringing a light in the lives of lakhs of families.

Meet the couple Paila Apparao and Bhavani. They have built their house under the government’s housing scheme. Their house is close to the road in Srinivasanagar of Visakhapatnam. Earlier, the Apparao couple would live in a rented house, but now with the government’s help they have fulfilled their dream of owning a house. The joy of owning a house in a metropolis like Visakhapatnam is clearly visible in the eyes of this small and happy family.

“First we got a house allotted under the Jagananna housing scheme. Later, we received the funds and sand needed for constructing the house. We used to pay rent earlier and now we are spending the same amount on the education of our kids. My children are also beneficiaries of Amma Vodi scheme,” says Bhavani, Jagananna housing scheme beneficiary

Appa Rao and Bhavani had to endure the indignation from their elders as both the families opposed their inter-caste marriage. After years of opposition, their families have now forgiven Appa Rao and Bhavani. The Appa Rao couple is now happy to have their own roof. The children are also getting the benefits of the Amma Odi scheme. Appa Rao’s family had to face some issues during the construction of the house which were solved with the intervention of the YSRCP leaders and the staff of the village ward secretariats.

“My son was worried about raising his children as his income was used up in paying the rent, electricity bill and supporting family. The Jagananna housing scheme has made my son tension-free now”, says Eshwaramma, mother-in-law of Bhavani

Let's see some other reactions of the beneficiaries of the government's housing scheme beneficiaries in Chittoor district now. This is Jagananna housing colony located in Aragonda of Thavanampalli mandal. You will see the construction activities going on at full speed here.  

Our Sakshi TV correspondent spoke to Noorullah, who is an auto driver in the locality. He was staying in a rented house for a long time. As an auto driver, he had to pay the rent and support the family with his meagre earnings. At a time when this poor family was finding it difficult to survive, the housing scheme for all the poor came as an unexpected surprise for them. The land and house ownership is given in the name of Noorullah's wife Hasina.

“I was experiencing a lot of trouble supporting my family with my meagre income. I never thought I would ever be able to own a house. It’s become possible due to the Jagananna housing scheme for the poor,” says Noorullah, whose wife is a beneficiary of the scheme. 

Jairaj and Vanitha are another couple living in Aragonda. Both husband and wife are involved in constructing their house. Jayaraj works as a painter to support his family. As a beneficiary, they are able to build their own house now. 
“We were living in a rented house. We never owned even a plot of land. We were allotted a house site but we needed water to construct the house. The government officials ensured water supply so beneficiaries could build their assigned dwellings,” says Jairaj, Aragonda, Chittoor district

In this place, the construction of houses appears to be a community event. As the government is providing every possible support, the poor people are happily bundling their houses brick by brick. Kavitha's family is one of the housing scheme beneficiaries and they are also constructing their house here. Kavitha's husband Satish is a pushcart vendor. 

“I have lived in a rented house for years. Thanks to the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for helping us fulfil the dream of owning a house,” says Kavitha, beneficiary, Jagananna housing scheme

Under Jagananna housing scheme for the poor, around 31 lakh houses are being constructed across the state. In coordination with the  district collectors and officials from various departments, the housing scheme is being implemented effectively. Infrastructure development works in thousands of Jagananna colonies are going on in full swing. Due to this massive scheme launched by the YS Jagan government, thousands of families are not only fulfilling their dreams of owning a house, but it is also providing employment to lakhs of people.