Date:02/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/02/stories/2007090254870500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Sonia Gandhi strikes a chord with women

Staff Reporter

Says Indiramma housing scheme fulfils their ‘biggest dream’

Lays stone for housing programme at ST Colony
Reminisces the historical past of the village

TUMULURU (GUNTUR): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday launched the second phase of Indiramma housing scheme at Tumuluru village in Guntur district. She inaugurated a pylon erected at the village centre and laid the foundation stone for the housing programme at the ST Colony here. Under the second phase, 22 lakh pucca houses would be built in the State.

Some 706 houses would be constructed in the village in an extent of 1.70 acres of land, which had already been taken into possession. Duggirala MLA Gudibanda Venkata Reddy said that roads had been laid in the proposed colony and construction would commence soon. Addressing the crowd, including an impressive gathering of women, on the soggy ground on a damp day, Ms. Sonia said that Indiramma housing scheme would help women fulfil their “biggest dream” of having an independent house. Owning a home would make lives of women better, improve their quality of life and ensure a respectable position in the society. Striking an emotional chord with the women, most of them farm labourers, she said that women in the country were sharing an equal responsibility on their shoulders in raising the families, working in the fields, looking after children and family members. She asked all women to reap the benefits of the Indiramma housing scheme.

Assets distributed

Reminiscing of the historical past of the village, Ms. Sonia said that she was told that the village gave birth to many freedom fighters and was home to many struggles. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi visited the village, she said.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said that the massive housing programme was taken up with an aim to provide a pucca house to every family in the State. The Government would complete the target of constructing 60 lakh houses by 2009. Earlier, he explained about the various social security pensions and the progress made in the first phase of housing scheme at a photo exhibition. Later, Ms. Sonia distributed assets to various beneficiaries.

Union Ministers D. Purandhareswari, Panabaka Lakshmi, M.A. Pallam Raju, Housing Minister B. Satyanarayana, MPs V. Balashourie, U. Arun Kumar, district Collector Mohammad Ali Rafath, Inspector-General of Police Satyanarayan were present.