Ponguleti accepts KTR’s challenge on building houses for poor

Hyderabad: Revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Wednesday said he will not contest the next assembly election if the Congress govt does not construct more liveable houses than the previous BRS govt, before the end of its tenure.

Referring to BRS working president K T Rama Rao’s challenge that he would quit politics if the Congress can prove it has constructed houses for the poor, minister Ponguleti said he was accepting the challenge.

BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar accused the then BRS govt of failing to take up housing projects in over 10,000 of the more than 12,000 gram panchayats in the state. “The Congress govt had taken up construction of houses in all villages under the Indiramma Indlu scheme. “I am willing to accept any challenge if KTR can prove otherwise,” he said.

Ponnam alleged that the housing schemes were up only in select constituencies during the BRS govt benefiting some leaders who were close to former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

“The previous BRS govt constructed 46,000 2-BHK units during its two terms. Another 16,000 units were left in different stages of construction. Of the completed 2-BHK units, as many as 21,000 remained unoccupied as the residents were not given basic amenities like drinking water, sewerage and others while a majority of these houses were constructed in areas far from the places where the beneficiaries (allottees) work,” Ponguleti said.

Keeping in view the lapses that occurred during the BRS govt tenure, the Congress govt had resolved to construct houses in the areas where the eligible poor lived. Accordingly, 39 locations were identified within outer ring road (ORR) limits with land ranging from 1,000 square yards to 20 acres.

The minister said that there were lands which were worth around ₹75 crore to ₹100 crore an acre, but said the govt accorded priority to housing for poor rather than looking into the economic aspects. “The govt has decided to extend the ₹5 lakh assistance to eligible urban poor for taking up construction of houses on the lines of Indiramma Indlu,” he said.

“The Congress govt is giving final touches to a housing policy for urban poor, which would be announced soon. CM Revanth will lay the foundation stone for the urban housing scheme. The constructed houses would be registered in the name of women and the govt had resolved to register these houses free of cost,” the minister added.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026