Housing for the Homeless: Telangana's Unfinished Dream

CATEGORY: national TAGS: housing, homelessness, telangana, government schemes, affordable housing SOURCE: The Hindu

The Telangana government's ambitious housing scheme, aimed at providing permanent homes to the homeless, has hit a roadblock. Official figures show that 2,92,938 building units were sanctioned at an estimated cost of around ₹19,423 crore. However, despite the administrative sanction, only a little over 35,000 houses across the State were in the final stages of construction, with roofing and plastering completed, while work on another 33,000 units was in progress.

The strain on low-income families is particularly acute, with many struggling to make ends meet due to rising rents. In Nizamabad town, 46-year-old Bagula Sabitha, a widow who runs a small beauty parlour, is struggling to keep her family afloat. Living in a rented house with her two teenage daughters, she pays ₹4,000 per month as rent while trying to meet their Intermediate education costs.

What is the Right to Shelter?

The Right to Life and Liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty against state action. However, the Maneka Gandhi Judgment (1978) expanded this right to include due process. The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 established the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as the oversight body to ensure that the state does not violate the fundamental rights of its citizens.

• ▸The Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) was a government scheme aimed at providing housing for the homeless and landless poor.
• ▸The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) was launched in 2015 to provide affordable housing to the urban poor.
• ▸The Telangana State Housing Corporation (TSHC) was established to implement the housing schemes in the state.

The government's failure to deliver on its housing promises has left many homeless individuals and families in a precarious situation. The stress is similar for G. Shoba, a 50-year-old beedi worker from Sanjeevaiah Colony in Nizamabad. After her husband died two years ago, paying ₹3,500 rent for a single-room house has proved increasingly difficult.

The Kusum Yojana scheme, launched in 2019, aims to promote the adoption of solar power in rural areas. The scheme provides financial assistance to farmers to install solar pumps and sell excess electricity to the grid. This initiative has the potential to reduce the financial burden on farmers and promote renewable energy in rural areas.

The government's inability to deliver on its housing promises has left many homeless individuals and families in a precarious situation. The stress is similar for T. Komuramma, a 60-year-old woman from Vedurugatta village of Choppadandi mandal, who was allotted a double-bedroom house four years ago but is still waiting for the day she can move into it.

The Way Forward

The government must take immediate action to address the housing crisis in Telangana. This includes providing financial assistance to families who are struggling to make ends meet, increasing the allocation of funds for housing schemes, and implementing measures to reduce the financial burden on low-income families. The government must also ensure that the housing schemes are implemented efficiently and effectively, with a focus on providing affordable and sustainable housing solutions to the homeless.