HYDERABAD: Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced on Wednesday that the government is addressing the issue of vacant 2BHK housing units, especially those situated far from beneficiaries’ homes. Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, approximately 92,000 2BHK houses have been approved by the BRS government.
Out of these, around 61,000 are completed, while 21,838 are still under construction. Before the 2023 assembly elections, the government allotted 23,500 houses, but 12,000 remain unoccupied, primarily in Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Medchal, and Rangareddy districts.
During the assembly’s question hour, the minister revealed that notices had been sent to beneficiaries, instructing them to occupy their homes within two months or face reallocation. Approximately 6,500 beneficiaries responded, and 4,000 cited distance as a reason for not relocating. The government has extended the deadline, indicating that if beneficiaries do not occupy the houses, they will be reallocated to applicants living within a 5 km radius. The minister also mentioned that future housing projects will be closer to earlier slum areas.
Earlier, Speaker Gaddam Prasad remarked that the housing minister should have followed his previous suggestions, noting that many assembly questions could have been avoided. During the discussion on double-bedroom housing, the speaker reminded the minister of his earlier advice to conduct a district-wise review of pending houses in the state. He also recommended coordination with district collectors to evaluate the progress of these housing projects, believing that such a review would clarify issues at the grassroots level.
