Minister Parthasarathy assures vigilance probe into ‘housing scam’

Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy warns of dire consequences for financial irregularities during YSRCP regime, vows to take action.

Taking serious exception to the alleged financial irregularities resorted to during the erstwhile YSRCP regime, Minister for Housing Kolusu Parthasarathy has warned those involved in the scams of ‘dire consequences’.

His reaction came after the beneficiaries broke down and told him that the houses sanctioned to them were never built and that some influential leaders during the erstwhile YSRCP regime had submitted fake bills pertaining to the construction and forged the beneficiaries’ signatures to withdraw crores of rupees from their accounts.

Accompanied by Sarvepalli MLA and TDP’s politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and A.P. State Housing Corporation Managing Director P. Raja Babu, Mr. Parthasarathy walked through the Jagananna Housing Colony in Varigonda village of Thotapalli Gudur mandal in SPSR Nellore district on Friday, when he was approached by the group of beneficiaries of the unbuilt Jagananna Houses.

Taken aback at the audacity with which the Housing Corporation rules were violated and the State authorities getting taken for a ride, especially in Nellore district, Mr. Parthasarathy announced the initiation of a vigilance inquiry into the issue based on the recommendations of the district Ministers and legislators.

“Our government accords top priority to housing. We will soon sanction an additional ₹50,000 to the beneficiaries in the SC and BC communities and ₹75,000 to those in the ST communities to meet their housing needs. We will initiate the Revenue Recovery Act to recover the swindled amount and use it to build houses for the poor,” Mr. Parthasarathy assured.

Mr. Chandramohan Reddy flayed the erstwhile rulers of swindling money from innocent tribals by taking their biometric details in the name of certification of completion of their houses without actually doing it on the ground.

“We will parade the contractors and the local leaders before the public and ensure punishment as per law,” he said. The team also inspected a similar colony in Chittepalli Thippa village in Podalakur mandal.