Hyderabad, April 11: A large number of senior government officials, including bureaucrats working in various government departments are struggling for accommodation in the city due to the lack of government quarters.
Government quarters are in such huge demand that when one gets vacant due to an officer’s retirement or transfer, there is a big scramble to occupy it through any pressure tactics that can be used.
But now, realising the seriousness of the problem, the state government, through the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, has decided to re-develop a few government sites in areas like Punjagutta, Erra Manzil, Malakpet, Yousufguda and Patigadda to provide good quality residential accommodation for government employees under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
In all, the department owns nearly 100 acres of prime land in the twin cities which have not been commercially exploited by the government.
The Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (INCAP), a state government undertaking, has prepared a detailed project report to utilise this land under PPP mode and will submit the report to the government shortly.
Speaking to Express, senior R&B officials said that government quarters which are located in these areas are in dilapidated condition and are unfit to live in. A majority of them are independent houses.
With land in the city being precious, the government wants to utilise it both commercially and provide accommodation to its employees.
And due to severe financial crisis in the R&B department, it has been decided to encourage construction of shopping malls and multiplexes on the land.
The department has identified 15 acres of land for multiplexes at Punjagutta, two acres at Erramanzil, 50 acres at Malakpet and 10 to 12 acres at Yousufguda. Besides the shopping complexes, the department will also construct government offices and residential quarters.
The other major advantage apart from generating revenues, is that utilising the land would prevent it from being taken over by land sharks.
–Agencies