The state government has accorded administrative sanction to Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) to expend Rs 150 crore towards development of one cent plot layouts for distribution to housing scheme beneficiaries.
As reported in these columns earlier, the government had entrusted the responsibility of developing around 6,100 acres to the VMRDA, land pooling for which is in progress. In return, the VMRDA will get a 15% share of the land. Around 1.5 lakh beneficiaries have been identified by district officials under ‘Pedalandariki Illu’ (housing for the poor) scheme, where the beneficiaries will get one cent land each.
VMRDA had sent proposals to the tune of Rs 1,400 crore for development of all the proposed pooled land, including farmers’ share and its own share of 15%. But it has received sanction for only Rs 150 crore for development of the one cent layouts with quarry rubbish roads for the 1.5 lakh beneficiaries. The one cent layouts will be developed in nearly 3,000 acres, officials said, while the remaining land will be earmarked for VMRDA as well as for farmers.
While the assignees will get 900 square yards land for one acre, the tenants/encroachers without any documents will get 450 or 250 square yards.
VMRDA has estimated that jungle clearance, land levelling and other basic works will cost them about Rs 2.2 lakh per acre in the one cent layouts, while the development of layouts for farmers as well as for the urban development authority will cost about Rs 52 lakh per acre.
VMRDA metropolitan commissioner P Koteswara Rao said their first priority is to develop the one cent layouts for distribution to the homeless. “As per the earlier government order, we have a time of four months to hand over the developed plots to holders of land pooling ownership certificate after the pooled land is given to us,” he told TOI.
A government order released on Friday has accorded permission to the VMRDA commissioner to immediately invite tenders in view of the urgency to cope up with the time-bound flagship programme.
The government plans to launch the housing site distribution process during Ugadi.
