YSRCP president and Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s pet programme of distributing over 26 lakh house sites to the landless poor has once again been postponed.
According to official sources, the scheme “Navaratnaalu-Pedalandiriki Illu,” was scheduled to be launched on a grand scale by Jagan on July 8, coinciding with the birth anniversary of his father and former chief minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.
However, the government on Monday informed all district collectors that the launch of the scheme would be deferred to a later date to be communicated soon.
In all probability, the scheme is expected to be formally launched on August 15, coinciding with the Independence Day.
Though the growing intensity of Covid-19 is said to be the main reason for the postponement of the launch of the housing for poor scheme, sources said the decision was taken on the advice of legal experts who warned that it might draw the contempt of court.
A petition challenging the scheme has been filed in the Supreme court and it might take up the hearing later this week.
There is every possibility that the Supreme Court might raise some issues about the guidelines in allotting house sites and so, it is better to wait till the court gives some directions, officials said.
Right from the announcement of the scheme, it has been facing a series of hurdles.
The house sites distribution programme was originally planned for March 25, coinciding with Ugadi festival, with a lot of publicity and fanfare. At one stage, Jagan even invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch the programme to give it a nationwide projection.
But the first hurdle came from State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar who issued orders asking the Jagan government to put off the house sites’ distribution programme on the pretext of model code of conduct for local body elections came.
Though Jagan had overcome the hurdle of house sites distribution on Ugadi, as the SEC was forced to lift the model code of conduct following the Supreme Court directions, he did not do so because of Corona effect.
Subsequently, the high court stayed distribution of housing sites to over 54,000 landless poor in several villages of Amaravati capital region, following a petition by farmers of Amaravati.
Secondly, the court also cancelled the government’s order to take away over 6,000 acres of assigned lands and distribute them as house sites for the poor.
Subsequently, he deferred the programme to April 14, which will coincide with the birth anniversary of Babasaheb B R Ambedkar.
Apparently, he thought he would get a huge mileage if plots are distributed on April 14, because many of the beneficiaries belong to Dalit communities and it would be a tribute for Ambedkar as well.
But all the plans of Jagan have now gone topsy turvy due to sudden decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposing nation-wide lockdown till April 15.
As a result, the chief minister chose July 8 for distribution of house sites on the occasion of YSR birth anniversary. But now, he is forced to defer the scheme again.
