Senior Congress leader and former union minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday accused the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS government in Telangana of “not fulfilling” its election promise of constructing double-bedroom houses for the poor.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Khurshid said the Congress government built more than 22.89 lakh new houses for the poor in Telangana between 2004-14. He said while the BRS promised to construct 5.7 lakh 2-BHK houses by 2024, but it has been implementing the scheme only on a “sample” basis.
“KCR commented that ‘Indiramma Indulu’ (houses) provided by the Congress government from 2004-14 were of matchbox size, and he promised 2BHK houses as part of the 2014 manifesto,” Khurshid said, alleging that the BRS government, however, “cheated” the poor in the name of constructing 2BHK houses for them.
“Why have you failed to distribute 5.7 lakh houses under 2 BHK housing scheme? How many houses have been constructed and allocated so far, and what is the timeline for completing the scheme,” the Congress leader asked.
Khurshid said there are enough funds to construct ‘Pragati Bhavan’, the CM’s camp office-cum-official residence, and asked “why there are no funds, time and land for construction of 2 BHK houses for the poor”. The BRS government had allocated a total of Rs 23,679 crore for the 2 BHK scheme from the financial year 2016-17 till 2020-21, but it released only Rs 383 crore, as per an RTI report, he said.
He alleged that the 2 BHK houses are being given to only a few loyalists of BRS leaders. “Budgets have indicated that money has been allocated, but not released. The houses have not been built. The one that that have been built are lying vacant due to poor quality of construction. The fact is that people are homeless, people have not been given the homes they were promised,” the Congress leader alleged.
Khurshid sought to draw a contrast between the BRS and his party, saying in neighbouring Karnataka and in Himachal Pradesh and other Congress-ruled states, it has fulfilled the promises it made to the people. He assured the people that if the Congress comes to power in Telangana in the November 30 polls, it would fulfil its six guarantees in the state as well.
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