– In 22 months, Chandrababu hasn’t spent even a single rupee
– Hasn’t built even one house.. hasn’t given even one house site
– Changed the name of Jagananna Colonies and indulged in credit theft
– Between 2014-19, nearly Rs. 9,000 crore corruption in the name of TIDCO houses
– YS Jagan completed TIDCO houses and handed over one lakh houses to beneficiaries
– Now Chandrababu is doing propaganda by distributing the houses built by YS Jagan
– Chandrababu is snatching back the house sites given to the poor by YS Jagan in Amaravati
The Chandrababu government is grandly publicising the distribution of houses that were actually constructed by the previous YSRCP government. Chandrababu, who did not give even a single house site or a single house to the poor during his five years in power between 2014-19, is now indulging in credit theft by claiming that the houses built during YS Jagan’s regime were constructed by him.
In the 22 months since the Chandrababu coalition government came to power, it has not constructed even one new house nor allotted even one house site. Even though the TDP government took up TIDCO house construction between 2014-19, it failed to complete them and did not provide the required infrastructure. After YS Jagan came to power, he distributed house pattas free of cost to 31.19 lakh poor people and sanctioned 21.75 lakh houses. Out of these, more than 9.02 lakh houses were constructed. By the time of the elections, several lakh houses were at various stages of construction. YS Jagan also completed the TIDCO houses, provided all facilities and handed over up to one lakh houses to the beneficiaries. In these 22 months of rule, the Chandrababu government has not spent even a single rupee on housing, but has only changed the name of Jagananna Colonies.
In reality, neither during 2014-19 when Chandrababu was CM, nor from June 2024 to March 2026, has he given even one house site to any poor family, nor purchased even one inch of land, nor constructed and handed over even one house. Yet shamelessly, he is giving a finishing touch to the nearly completed houses taken up by the previous YSRCP government and claiming that he built them all, a drama that only Chandrababu can pull off.
That was the goal of the YSRCP government then:
“Whenever you go to any village, no one should raise their hand saying they don’t have their own house”, that was what then-CM YS Jagan used to say. And he didn’t stop at just saying it; he worked with the clear target that every single person in the state should have their own house. That is why, in a manner never seen before in the history of the state or even the country, between 2019-24 he not only distributed house pattas to the poor but also took up house construction on an unprecedented scale. The government identified 71,811 acres of land worth Rs. 31,832 crore for poor people’s house sites and distributed pattas. Out of this, it purchased 25,374 acres for Rs. 11,343 crore.
Not just colonies, entire villages in some places:
Instead of showing house sites here and there as a token gesture, full layouts were developed on par with private layouts. For jungle clearance, internal roads, approach roads and minimum infrastructure facilities like drinking water and drainage in all layouts, another Rs. 32,909 crore was spent. The market value of those house sites is over Rs. 75,000 crore. Each beneficiary received an asset in the form of a house site worth up to Rs. 20 lakh. In a total of 17,005 layouts, nearly 22 lakh houses were sanctioned last year and works were also progressing rapidly.
Houses | Categories | Construction:
Under the “Navaratnalu – Houses for All Poor” programme, houses were constructed during the YSRCP government. Of these, 19.13 lakh were regular houses and another 2.62 lakh were TIDCO houses. By April 2024 (election time), construction of 9.02 lakh houses was completed, while 11.61 lakh regular houses had crossed the foundation stage and were at various levels. Rs. 1.80 lakh was allocated per house. In the beneficiary’s name, an interest-free bank loan of Rs. 35,000 was sanctioned. In addition, sand worth Rs. 15,000 and building materials (cement, metal frames etc.) worth Rs. 40,000 were supplied. Thus, each house was taken up at a total cost of Rs. 2.70 lakh.
Rs. 1,02,710 crore worth of assets given to the poor
The total expenditure incurred by the previous YSRCP government on land acquisition for poor people’s house sites, purchase of required land, layout development, internal roads, electricity, water supply and all kinds of basic infrastructure was Rs. 45,335 crore. Adding to this the Rs. 1.80 lakh per house construction cost, Rs. 40,000 worth of sand/steel/cement materials and Rs. 35,000 interest-free loan, the total value of construction for 22.5 lakh houses comes to Rs. 57,375 crore. Thus, the total asset value given by the YSRCP government to the poor in the form of houses and house pattas is a massive Rs. 1,02,710 crore.
YS Jagan Government handed over 1,24,680 TIDCO Houses to Beneficiaries:
In the TIDCO houses constructed during the YSRCP regime, more than one lakh houses were handed over to beneficiaries two months before the 2024 elections (i.e., by February 2024). Initially, 1,00,200 houses constructed in 66 locations across 35 urban local bodies were distributed. Later, another 1,056 in Saluru, 1,120 in Vizianagaram, 1,584 in Peddapuram, 2,304 in Machilipatnam, 2,016 in Chittoor and 1,872 in Madanapalle — a total of 1,24,680 TIDCO houses were handed over by the second week of March 2024 (before the elections). All these houses were constructed with full facilities in the G+3 model. The government itself provided drinking water, drainage, STP, electricity and roads. Located in suitable areas near cities and towns, these houses were built to look like brand-new apartment-style townships.
300 sq.ft house registered for just Rs. 1
The previous YSRCP government, working for the welfare of poor families, registered 300 sq.ft TIDCO houses for just Rs. 1 and handed them over with full rights. In this manner, 1,43,600 houses were given free of cost to sisters with all rights through Rs. 1 registration.
- Similarly, for 365 sq.ft and 430 sq.ft TIDCO houses, 50% concession was given on the advance share amount to be paid by beneficiaries.
- For 44,304 beneficiaries of 365 sq.ft houses, only Rs. 25,000 each was collected and houses were registered free of cost.
- For 74,312 beneficiaries of 430 sq.ft houses, only Rs. 50,000 each was collected and registration was done.
In this way, the government bore the burden of Rs. 482.32 crore that the beneficiaries were supposed to pay.
The total benefit given to these poor families in TIDCO houses:
- Rs. 10,339 crore subsidy for 300 sq.ft house beneficiaries
- Rs. 482 crore through 50% concession for 365 & 430 sq.ft houses
- Rs. 1,200 crore through free registration of all TIDCO houses
Thus, a total benefit of Rs. 12,021 crore was provided to the poor TIDCO house beneficiary families.
House Sites & TIDCO Houses for the Poor in the Capital Region (CRDA):
In the Amaravati capital region too, to provide space for poor families, 50,793 house pattas along with 5,024 TIDCO houses were distributed on 23 May 2023 in 1,402.58 acres under CRDA. This was a massive programme that fulfilled the long-cherished dream of poor families in Amaravati who had no houses. Not only pattas but also all required infrastructure for house construction was provided and works were taken up rapidly.
In a total of 25 layouts (11 in Guntur district and 14 in NTR district), house pattas were given to the poor. Jungle clearance, land levelling and boundary stone fixing were almost completed. Internal gravel roads of nearly 180 km were also laid. By that day itself, 83% of the works was completed. Rs. 56 crore was spent on these works. However, the coalition government, saying poor people should not stay in the capital Amaravati region, cancelled all 50,793 house pattas in the R-5 zone.
Rs. 8,929.81 crore corruption in TIDCO house construction
In his series of irregularities, Chandrababu finally mortgaged even the lives of poor families in towns who had no houses. In 2016-17, in the name of constructing houses on government land, he showed abnormally high construction costs and looted the beneficiaries. Through AP TIDCO, the government promised to construct G+3 flats of 300, 365 and 415 sq.ft for 5 lakh homeless families living in towns on government land. They fixed the price of a 300 sq.ft flat at Rs. 2.60 lakh, arranged bank loans and imposed a condition that beneficiaries must pay Rs. 3,000 per month for 20 years (total Rs. 7.20 lakh). Taking bribes from construction companies, they awarded permissions at higher rates to companies that paid more bribes and lower rates to those who paid less.
In 2016-17, while the market rate per sq.ft was between Rs. 900 and Rs. 1,000, they paid companies between Rs. 2,035 and Rs. 2,535 per sq.ft. On average, they paid Rs. 2,204 per sq.ft: i.e., Rs. 1,204 extra per sq.ft compared to the market rate. Instead of reducing the cost below market rate for government projects, they massively increased it.
Moreover, although they planned 5 lakh TIDCO houses, sufficient land was not available, so they started works only for 3.15 lakh houses. In the first phase, permissions were given for 2,08,160 units with a total area of 7,42,01,820 sq.ft, through which they indulged in Rs. 8,929.81 crore corruption. The Babu government imposed a burden of Rs. 7.20 lakh on the poor for a 300 sq.ft house and made them pay installments for 20 years. According to this, a burden of Rs. 3,805 was imposed on each beneficiary. Additionally, Rs. 50,000 was collected for 365 sq.ft houses and Rs. 1 lakh for 430 sq.ft houses. After committing so many irregularities, Chandrababu is now doing yet another drama today by propagating “TIDCO house distribution” with outright lies as if he has done some great work.
War with vested interests on behalf of the poor
When CM YS Jagan took sincere steps to turn the decades-old dream of a own house for the poor into reality, Chandrababu tried at every step to obstruct the scheme because it was threatening his political future. TDP leaders, through their supporters, filed 1,000 cases in courts and obstructed house patta distribution and house construction on many occasions. None of these obstacles weakened YS Jagan’s resolve. The YS Jagan government was the first in the country to give full ownership rights to beneficiaries on the free sites distributed. Free registrations were done in their names and conveyance deeds were given. In 2024, the registration process was started and registrations were given to 15 lakh people. The remaining registrations were temporarily stopped after the model code of conduct for the general elections came into force.
TDP filed petitions in courts without the knowledge of beneficiaries
Podili Shivamurthy from Tenali along with 128 others filed a petition in the High Court objecting to giving house sites and houses in the names of women. The court imposed a stay on house construction in 2021. A few days later, they themselves revealed that they had not filed any petition in court. During the TDP regime, party brokers collected Aadhaar and ration cards, signatures and money ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 40,000 from the poor promising house sites. The poor later came out and said that TDP leaders had filed cases in court using the documents taken from them without their knowledge. In the case of the Yerraguntla canal issue, signatures on blank papers and Aadhaar xerox copies were taken from two persons — Balli Prabhakar Rao and Jajula Harikrishna — and TDP leaders filed cases in court against house patta distribution.
YS Jagan Government gave Top Priority to Social Justice
Among those who received house pattas, 20% were SCs, 6% STs, 54% BCs and 21% others. This is proof of the social justice in the house patta distribution and house construction programme taken up by the YSRCP government. Ever since the coalition government came to power, it has shown no interest in the construction of houses in YS Jagananna Colonies or in the welfare of the beneficiaries. At every stage it showed political vendetta. It never tried to stand as a helping hand to the poor like YS Jagan did. On the contrary, it wasted time with false allegations and completely sabotaged house construction.
