Congress Will Build More Homes Than BRS Did, Says Telangana Housing Minister

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is setting an ambitious target for residential construction, with Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy making a bold assertion about the Congress administration's housing agenda compared to its predecessor.

At a media interaction held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Ponguleti declared that he would decline to contest the next Assembly elections should the Congress government fail to surpass the housing numbers achieved by the BRS regime during its ten-year tenure in Hyderabad. He further posed a counter-challenge to BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, asking whether the opposition leader would similarly recuse himself from electoral contests if the government's performance exceeded previous housing construction records.

The minister was accompanied by fellow cabinet members Ponnam Prabhakar and Mohammed Azharuddin, along with MLA leader Rajender.

Scaling Up Indiramma Housing Initiative

The government's housing strategy centres on the Indiramma houses programme, which the Congress administration views as a key electoral platform in rural constituencies. Ponguleti criticised opposition figures for speaking against the initiative and announced that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy would lay the foundation stone for 1 lakh Indiramma houses in the Cure area situated within the Outer Ring Road limits.

An additional 1 lakh housing units are slated for sanction during the scheme's third phase, targeting urban localities. The administration is adopting a constituency-focused approach, treating each Assembly segment as an independent development unit.

Within the first 12 days of conducting site surveys across 24 Assembly constituencies, officials have identified 39 to 40 potential locations for construction. The government intends to utilise government-owned parcels of land, ranging from 1,000 square yards to 25 acres, for building Indiramma houses.

Rehabilitating Deteriorated Housing Stock

A significant component of the housing programme involves addressing the decay of older residential complexes. Ponguleti highlighted that numerous housing blocks constructed four decades ago in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts have fallen into disrepair. The Congress government plans to demolish and reconstruct these ageing G+2 structures, offering improved living standards to economically disadvantaged households.

The minister conducted field visits to multiple locations across Hyderabad to assess ground conditions. His inspection itinerary included Jiyaguda Police Quarters in Asifnagar, Mangar Basti, Bombay Colony, Nampally Red Hills, Malakpet and Falaknuma. During these visits, Ponguleti instructed officials to accelerate the preparation of architectural plans for housing projects on vacant government properties and sites occupied by deteriorating structures.

The minister engaged directly with residents inhabiting damaged housing complexes, listening to their grievances and concerns. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, MLA Majid Hussain and other elected representatives accompanied him during the site visits.