GHMC extends deadline for completing 2BHKs

GHMC has changed the location of one disputed site from Mansanpally in Maheshwaram to Falaknuma, where 800 houses will be constructed.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has extended the deadline for completing the construction of Telangana state government's flagship double bedroom housing project for the urban poor in the city.

The state government, which had promised to hand over the houses to the beneficiaries under the 2BHK project by December this year, now says that the houses will be handed over only by the first half of next year. Officials said that the construction of 40,000 houses will be completed by December and that of the remaining 60,000 will be completed by June 2019.

Municipal administration and urban development minister K. Taraka Rama, along with city mayor and GHMC officials inspected the progress of the project on Sunday. A GHMC official said, the government has asked the corporation to expedite the construction of the houses. Out of the one lakh houses, construction of 98,000 was under way and in various stages of completion. Due to legal disputes, the construction of some of these houses was put on hold. The corporation, after verifying the status, will find alternative locations within 15 days.

The corporation has already changed the location of one such disputed site from Mansanpally in Maheshwaram to Falaknuma, where 800 houses will be constructed. The corporation has now decided to find alternative sites to the remaining disputed sites in order to speed up the project. However, officials claimed that even though the houses will be constructed at a brisk pace, the corporation will be able to complete only 60 per cent houses and the remaining will be in various stages of construction.

GHMC has already started work on 89,516 houses and it would construct 81,225 2BHK houses in vacant lands at 58 locations and 8,291 houses in insitu slums at 24 locations.

In August, the corporation finalised the tender for 59,520 units at 88 locations and started the work on 27,734 units. It has completed 176 units at Singam Cheruvu of Mallapur, Uppal and handed them over to the beneficiaries.