Amaravati, May 26: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday kicked off a week-long programme to distribute housing plots for 50,793 eligible poor women at Venkatapalem village in Guntur district within Amaravati area.

Besides the housing plots, the Chief Minister has also launched the programmme to hand over Andhra Pradesh Township And Infrastructure Development Corporation (APTIDCO) houses to 5,024 beneficiaries which were constructed at a cost of Rs 444 crore in the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) region. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Releases Rs 703 Crore Under 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' Scheme to Mothers of Nearly 10 Lakh Students.

For the land given to the poor, documents for plots worth up to Rs 10 lakh will be given away, including photographing and geo-tagging each of the beneficiary in her own plot, spread across 25 layouts and 1,400 acres located in Tadikonda and Mangalagiri Assembly constituencies. These plots created by the government amending the CRDA Act to facilitate allotment of house sites for the poor.

"This festival of distributing lands to 50,000 families is a legendary moment in the history of the state as well as the country as the state government took up a long legal fight to give land to the poor by even going up to the Supreme Court. We are witnessing this moment right here in Amaravati," Reddy said.

In a symbolic gesture, he distributed the documents for a few women.

Addressing a large gathering, the Chief Minister alleged that many opponents, especially opposition TDP-backed farmers had attempted to derail this endeavour legally but failed. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Grants One Lakh Farmers Rights to 2 Lakh Acres of British Era 'Dotted Lands' in a Single Stroke.

Terming the pattas (land deeds) not just as mere land documents, the Chief Minister said they are also "social justice documents", adding that from today Amaravati will be a "social Amaravati". Besides giving documents, he said the steps to initiate building houses in the 25 layouts under three options for the beneficiaries to choose from will also begin during this week.

According to the Chief Minister, the state government will spend Rs 2,000 crore to construct the houses and provide infrastructure, benefitting 23,762 women who received plots in 11 layouts in Guntur district and 27,031 from 14 layouts in NTR district.

Government transferring Rs 1.8 lakh for those who prefer build houses on their own, transferring labour expenses and construction materials, and the government itself taking the complete responsibility of building the houses are the three options. However, under all options sand would be provided for free while steel, cement and door frames would be supplied at subsidised rates as per the policy adoped in all 'YSR Jagananna' colonies.