Centre sanctions 3 lakh houses for AP; Shivraj Chouhan launches ₹3,600-crore housing initiative

Guntur: The Centre has sanctioned three lakh permanent houses for Andhra Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) 2.0, involving an investment of ₹3,600 crore, Union agriculture and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Sunday.

Chouhan, along with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, launched the housing initiative at Burripalem village in Guntur district. They also laid the foundation stone for a pilot project comprising 177 houses built using 3D concrete printing technology, marking what the government described as the country’s first such housing initiative. The pilot project, costing ₹14 crore, is expected to be completed in six months.

Chouhan said the state had initially been allocated 76,000 houses, but the Centre increased the allocation to three lakh following Naidu’s request to provide permanent homes to more low-income families. He assured the chief minister that additional houses could be sanctioned after the first phase was completed, responding to the state’s stated requirement of nine lakh homes.

Describing the partnership between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Naidu as a driving force for development, Chouhan said the Centre was committed to supporting Andhra Pradesh’s growth. He highlighted central assistance for Amaravati, including ₹15,000 crore in special financial support, and the Centre’s funding for the Polavaram project.

The minister also highlighted farmer and women’s welfare initiatives. He said eligible farmers in Andhra Pradesh receive ₹20,000 annually through the Centre’s PM-Kisan scheme and the state’s Annadata Sukhi Bhava programme. He added that 23 lakh women in the state had become ‘Lakhpati Didis’, with a target of increasing the number to 60 lakh.

Chouhan announced that the national SARAS Mela would be held in Andhra Pradesh on October 15 for the first time outside Delhi, with President Droupadi Murmu expected to inaugurate it.

Addressing the gathering in Telugu, Chouhan said serving people was akin to worshipping God and described himself as a ‘Mama’ of Andhra Pradesh, as he is popularly known in Madhya Pradesh.

Naidu thanked the Centre for increasing the housing allocation and expressed confidence that, with Modi’s guidance and central support, Andhra Pradesh would emerge as a leading state in infrastructure, agriculture, technology and rural development.