Vijayawada, July 5: The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday claimed to have set a record with the opening of over three lakh houses built for poor across the state on a single day.
'Gruhapravesam' (housewarming) programme of 3,00,346 houses built under housing scheme for poor in all 13 districts of the state was performed simultaneously, an official statement said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the programme in Vijayawada while ministers and other public representatives participated in the house warming in different parts of the state.
The Chief Minister said the houses were completed during 2017-18 at a cost of Rs 3,746 crore. The beneficiaries were from the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the backward classes.
He claimed that nowhere such a large number of houses were launched on a single day. He announced that housewarming of another 3 lakh houses would be performed in January next year.
Naidu said 5,80,849 houses were completed from 2014 to June this year under various schemes. House warming of one lakh houses was performed on October 2 last year.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief said his government was working to fulfil the dream of all the poor to have their own house.
Targeting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, he said it promised to build one crore houses but could not complete even 35 lakh houses across the country.
He said while the state government spent Rs 6,260 crore towards housing so far, the Central government allotted only Rs 1,296 crore.
Naidu slammed the Centre for betraying the state on all fronts. He said the state government would continue its welfare schemes despite not getting cooperation from the NDA government.
The TDP chief said the Centre had done injustice by stating in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that special category status can't be given to Andhra Pradesh.
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New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.