The Hindu 01.11.2010
VMC in a dilemma over land issue
Staff Reporter
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It requires Rs. 170 crore for acquiring land for housing schemes |
The Corporation could not ground all the houses sanctioned under JNNURM
28,152 houses have been sanctioned to the city in four phases
VIJAYAWADA: “Who will pay for the land?” is the biggest question
before the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) now. The Corporation
requires a minimum of Rs. 170 crore for acquiring land to go ahead with
its housing programmes.
Faced with funds crunch, the Corporation officials have explored
various options like approaching Social Welfare Department or the
Irrigation Department to shoulder the cost of housing for the urban
poor. Their prime contention is that the Social Welfare Department
should bear the cost of the houses that are meant for socially and
economically backward sections of the society. Likewise, the Irrigation
Department too should shoulder the burden as the Corporation is helping
them evict all encroachments on canal and river bunds.
And, to substantiate their argument, they recall that the Social
Welfare Department released Rs. 25 crore from its budget for the houses
being constructed at Jakkampudi. They also planned to write a letter to
the State government to release funds for the housing schemes citing the
precarious financial condition of the Corporation. District Collector
Peeyush Kumar, who is now acting as Special Officer of the VMC, however,
did not approve any of these options and, instead, suggested to the VMC
officials to explore other options to pool in the required funds,
official sources say.
Mr. Peeyush Kumar, it was learnt, told the VMC that the “budgets of
Social Welfare and Irrigation departments are tight” and they would not
be able to release any funds. Similarly, he did not respond positively
to the proposal to write a letter to the Government. This left the
Corporation officials in a quandary, trying to find out a solution to
the problem of meeting the land cost.
Biggest challenge
Land has always been the biggest challenge before the VMC authorities all these days.
The Corporation could not ground all the houses sanctioned under
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme.
The Corporation took up construction of houses under Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP), a sub-mission of JNNURM.
In all, 28,152 houses have been sanctioned to the city in four
phases. With land available at places like Vedurupavuluru, the VMC is
facing funds crunch, officials explain.
