Beneficiaries lock housing office

VIZIANAGARAM: “Indiramma’ housing beneficiaries led by the CPI (M), town committee, on Monday locked the Housing Department office and staged protest demonstrations on the premises demanding that the government release the bridge loan of Rs.30,000 assured to them from banks. They locked the entrance gate at 9.30 a.m. and did not allow employees as well as District Manager (Housing) A. Rama Rao inside the premises. They opened the doors after 1 p.m. when the District Manager offered to consider their demand after a discussion with bankers in the next two days.

Talking to reporters, the CPI (M) divisional secretary Reddy Sankar Rao said that Minister for Housing Botcha Satyanarayana was threatening beneficiaries at every meeting that the sanctions would be cancelled if the houses were not completed in three months’ time. But, the banks had not been releasing the bridge loan at 25 paise interest that was announced following escalation in cost of cement, steel and other construction material. The department was yet to release 10 bags of cement out of the promised 50 bags for sunshades, the CPI (M) leader said. Moreover, he said that construction of majority of the 94 G +1 houses at Goshala and 98 at Jonnaguddi were still at foundation stage due to the “neglect” of the department. He demanded that the department also issue possession certificates to beneficiaries at Mutcheruvugattu and also settle pending bills.