Looks like the AP government’s flagship scheme to distribute house sites to the underprivileged might stoke a new controversy. It is estimated that the YSRCP govt spent Rs 7000 crores towards allocating one cent land to the poor and even purchased twenty-four acres of land. In many areas, layouts have already been planned. As per earlier plans, the Jagan government wanted to distribute the house sites on March 25th on the occasion of Ugadi, but it got stalled due to legal hurdles. Since then, plans were on to distribute on August 15th and October 2nd but nothing worked out. Finally, the decks are clear and AP CM YS Jagan has planned to implement his flagship scheme on December 25th. Around 25 lakh house sites would be distributed on Christmas Day and the AP government plans to lay the foundation for building 15 lakh houses on the same day.
People have welcomed the plan of the state government to distribute house sites and for the initiative to build houses for the underprivileged free of cost. However, the issue here is that the beneficiaries of the flagship scheme include people of all faiths. And the government has planned to distribute the house sites and the foundation laying ceremony to build houses for the poor on a day of great significance to a particular community. Reacting to this, rebel YSRCP MP Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has strongly condemned the decision of the AP government, as over 90% of those receiving house sites are Hindus. The YSRCP MP claims that it is a conspiracy hatched by the YSRCP supremo for religious conversion.
Conspiracy to create vote banks?
By purchasing lands especially far from urban and rural agglomeration, the AP government is actively trying to provide houses for thousands at a single location. Along with one cent land, a house would also be built totally free of cost by the Exchequer. However, the opposition has put forward their suspicions that there is a conspiracy to rename the colonies as YSR colonies and turn them into YSRCP vote banks.
The YSRCP MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju criticized his own party leaders for planning to carry out religious conversions as soon as the house sites are allocated to the people. In a similar manner, the YSRCP plans to convert 26,000 colonies throughout the state into YSRCP vote banks, the YSRCP MP added.
Might lead to social unrest?
The YSRCP chief mulls constructing buildings and turning them into colonies within a span of three years in the house sites allocated free of cost by the government to the poor. In this context, the allegations of religious conversion by the YSRCP MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has turned sensational. The Narsapuram Lok Sabha MP even went on to say that if religious conversions take place in such a large scale, he fears it might lead to social unrest in the state.
Why not 1st January, instead of Christmas?
The free one cent house site distribution has already been postponed three times. Now, it has been decided to be held on December 25th. YSRCP MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has suggested that people of all faiths would be happy if the house site distribution would be done on January 1st instead of Christmas. The LS MP even expressed doubts that someone might approach the court prior to the AP government distributing the house sites.
