Andhra Pradesh government to launch third phase of welfare programme 'Rachabanda' tomorrow

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government will launch its welfare programme ' Rachabanda' (village junction) from tomorrow for disbursal of benefits like PDS ration cards, social security pensions among other measures.

As many as 17.94 lakh ration cards will be distributed till November 26 under the programme, which had been organised earlier in two phases, an official release said today.

Sanction orders will be given to 8,67,092 people for pensions and 13.65 lakh poor people for housing, it said.

Besides, electricity arrears for 4.98 lakh SCs and 5.15 lakh STs would also be distributed.

The Cabinet sub-committee meeting on the programme has decided to process all the applications received till October 24 for ration cards, houses and pensions, the release said.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who will participate during the middle-half of the programme, will lay the foundation stones for the programmes being taken up under the SC and ST sub-plan.

He will also inaugurate works already completed in various mandals, the release said.

According to the release, the government has completed construction of 63.89 lakh houses between 2004 and 2013 ( Congress rule), while construction of 8.67 lakhs houses is under progress.

The number of houses built during 1995 to 2004 (when TDP was in power) stood at 27.50 lakh only, it said.

The unit cost of construction of houses has also been increased from Rs 31,200 to Rs 70,000 in rural areas, from Rs 43,000 to Rs 80,000 in urban areas for others, to Rs 1 lakh for SCs and Rs 1.05 lakh for STs, the release said.

During Rachabanda-I, the welfare benefits were distributed to 26 lakh families with an amount of Rs 2,500 crore, while benefits worth Rs 3,500 crore were given to 35 lakh families during Rachabanda-II, said the release.