The Finance Minister Etela Rajender has stated during his Budget speech in the State Assembly today that the cost of construction of the Two-Bed Room Houses will be met through ‘extra-budgetary resources’. He did not, however, elaborate on it, and how it was proposed to mobilize the huge funds needed for the massive housing programme.
He said that with the noble intention of providing a decent living space and privacy to the poor, the Government has sanctioned 2.60 lakh two-bed room housing units. Of these, 1,426 houses have been completed as of end of February 2017, and 16,068 houses have been taken up for construction. Tender process is under progress. As indicated by the Chief Minister in the last session of the Assembly, the response from the contractors has not been encouraging as most of them are busy with Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhagiratha and other Irrigation schemes taken up by the Government. To encourage construction of two-bed room houses, the Government is now supplying sand free of cost. Apart from this, the Government entered into an MoU with 31 companies for supply of cement at Rs.230 per bag as compared with the market price of Rs.320 per bag. The selection of suitable sites by the District Collectors has almost been completed. With these proactive measures, the pace of tendering and construction has picked up significantly in the last three months and will gain further momentum from 2017-18, he pointed out.
Medical Care
The Finance Minister said the Government’s goal is to restore the confidence of the poor in public health facilities by improving all Government hospitals from PHCs to Multi Specialty Hospitals and separate provisions were proposed. He said that a proposal for construction of a Multi Super Specialty Hospital at Karimnagar is being considered by the Government. The Government is revamping the entire health sector with the sole intension of providing better medical care.
Aid to GHMC
He said that Rs.1,000 crore has been proposed in the Budget to GHMC and Rs.300 crore to Warangal Municipal Corpration. The assistance proposed for other Municipal Corporations is Rs.400 crore. Rs.350 crore has been proposed for the Development of Musi River front. (NSS)