Latest news with #IndirammaIndlu
News18
a day ago
- News18
Telangana govt launches helpline to report bonded labour cases
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Hyderabad, Jul 30 (PTI) Aiming to eradicate bonded labour, Telangana Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy on Wednesday launched a toll-free helpline to report such cases to the state labour department. The helpline 8069434343 was launched at an event held here. 'This number can be used to report bonded labour cases to the Labour Department. Appropriate action will be taken," an official release said. Vowing to abolish the practice in the state, the minister said the government would prioritise allotment of houses under the 'Indiramma Indlu' scheme for those rescued from bonded labour. The initiative offers financial assistance to eligible landless and homeless families in the state to build permanent houses on their plots. Each beneficiary is provided with Rs 5 lakh for construction. Venkatswamy expressed concern that bonded labour continues despite being banned decades ago. The state government has directed district collectors to respond promptly to complaints related to bonded labour and human trafficking, he added. Financial assistance would be extended to survivors, and cases would be booked against those found employing bonded labour, the minister said. Actor and animal welfare activist Amala Akkineni, along with government officials, was present at the event. PTI SJR SJR SSK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Dignity of women priority for govt.: Ponguleti
Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said reassurance and dignity of women were the priority of the government, and the schemes designed and implemented so far kept women at the centre of development, as envisaged by Indira Gandhi. The Minister handed over new ration cards to beneficiaries at the Nelakondapalli Mandal Agricultural Market Yard in Khammam district on Wednesday. Later, addressing the gathering, the Minister highlighted the women-focused schemes like free RTC bus travel, Indiramma houses registered in women's names and interest-free loans to Self Help Groups. Mr. Reddy said that in the last financial year, ₹25,000 crore was disbursed to 65 lakh women's groups, while ₹855 crore had been released in the last four months alone. The age limit for joining women's groups has been expanded to 15 to 65 years and women's associations are now active in various businesses, including solar plants, petrol bunks, rice mills and even grain procurement. He criticised the previous government for their negligence in ration card distribution and assured that distribution of ration cards would continue. 'From Ugadi, we have started distributing fine rice through ration cards, and now ration for three months is being issued at once,' he said. The Minister said funds for the 'Indiramma Indlu' housing scheme will be released every Monday and all eligible poor families will be covered in phases. The government has also waived crop loans up to ₹2 lakh, spending ₹21,000 crore in a year, and a bonus of ₹500 per quintal is being provided to fine rice farmers. District Collector Anudeep Durisetty informed that 19,690 new ration cards were being issued in Khammam district, including 4,225 in Paleru constituency and 62,000 new members have been added to the existing ration cards. Later, the Minister laid foundation stones for various road construction works in Nelakondapalli mandal, including internal CC roads worth ₹88.5 lakh in Cheruvu Madaram village, and internal CC roads worth ₹15 lakh in Bodulabanda village.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
42,432 people live in 166 GHMC slums; Minister directs lands to be identified for G+3 buildings for poor
Telangana Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy directed collectors of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri and Sangareddy to identify lands to build ground-plus-three-storey buildings at the places the poor are living so that the latter's livelihood is not disrupted. A report on the survey conducted by various departments to verify for slums in the four districts was submitted recently. The houses for urban poor and the survey report came up for discussion at the meeting held by Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy with the officials from Telangana Housing Corporation, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and district collectors of the districts on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). The requests for Indiramma Indlu or a 2BHK flat from people belonging to economically poor backgrounds in Hyderabad and its surrounding urban areas is increasing. The high rents in the urban areas is forcing them to spend a large portion of their earnings on rents for one or two rooms, the applicants say pointing out that a house of their own would give them relief from financial stress. 166 slums in GHMC There are 166 slums in GHMC limits where approximately 42,432 people live. Till now, the survey was conducted in 106 areas in Hyderabad, 16 in Rangareddy, 12 in Medchal Malkajgiri and five in Sangareddy. During the survey, around 25,501 kacha houses were identified in the localities. After a thorough study, a report should be submitted by the end of the month on the land available in the slums, number of Indiramma houses that can be constructed at the G+3 buildings, the Minister said. The collectors were directed to identify government lands, encroached lands, private lands under the control of poor and Bhoodan lands — as there is a provision to utilise this resource for housing for the poor. A report on it has to be submitted at the earliest. An official in each district has to be appointed for the land identification. The Minister said that though some people from Hyderabad were allotted 2BHK houses in Sangareddy, Medchal and Rangareddy, they were not willing to shift there. Around 30,000 houses are vacant though allotted. Mr. Reddy directed officials to issue notices to the beneficiaries. High demand for Indiramma Indlu The hopes of the applicants for Indiramma Indlu or a 2BHK flat from the government is becoming more pronounced as they get to know that people in rural Telangana are receiving ₹5 lakh financial assistance towards Indiramma Indlu. They also point out to the large number of the 2BHK flats which are unoccupied in some parts around Hyderabad, the officials noted. A domestic worker from Indiranagar of Ramanthapur, Sandhya Rani, said that she lives with three kids in a two-room house. While she earns ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 a month, the rent is ₹6,600. The fee for her three kids who go to college is managed through government and private scholarships and debts. 'We are extremely careful of using electricity since we have to pay if the monthly consumption crosses a limit [200 units per month under Gruha Jyoti scheme]. We don't know what to do if there is any unannounced expense. I am eagerly waiting for an Indiramma Indlu. It will be of great help to us,' said Ms. Rani. Anita, another resident of the city said that her family income has dropped to less than ₹20,000 and ₹5,500 goes for two-room house rent. 'My husband's earnings have dropped in the past few months. If we get a home at a far away place, like in the government's 2bhk apartments near Indu Aranya in Bandlaguda of Nagole, we can travel to and fro for work,' said Ms. Anita. President of Gruha Karmikula Union (Telangana State) V. Manjula, said that there are several single women or widows who are struggling to get by every day as it becomes difficult to pay rent, school fees and take care of other expenses. 'Houses for such women would be of immense help,' she said.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Complete tender process for supply eggs to residential schools; stay there for at least a day a week: Telangana Ministers to Collectors
Telangana district collectors were directed to stay at residential schools for at least a day in a week to check the maintenance of the amenities. They were asked to complete the tender process for supply of eggs at the earliest. Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Konda Surekha and Adluri Lakshman Kumar held a video conference with the collectors on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). They reviewed the implementation of Indiramma Indlu, Bhu Bharati, basic amenities in residential schools, Mahalakshmi scheme and other programmes. The Ministers were particular that there was no compromise in the quality of food that was being supplied to students of residential schools. Officials concerned should regularly conduct inspections on the amenities in these institutions to get first hand information. Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao instructed the collectors to further improve the quality of food in line with the hike in the diet charges effected by the government. In addition, they should ensure that basic amenities were provided in all these schools to not give scope for any complaints and avoid inconvenience to the boarders. Steps should be taken to ensure sanitation in the institutions as well as protection of the green cover, and convene meetings with the parents committees once in a month. They have directed collectors to play a proactive role in ensuring that the benefits of the flagship schemes launched in the State effectively reached the beneficiaries at the grass root level. About the Indiramma houses, collectors were directed to take steps to see that all eligible families were covered under the scheme and efforts should be made to expeditiously complete the construction of these houses. Steps should be taken to see that there was no shortage of sand required for the construction of Indiramma houses. It was the responsibility of the district administration to ensure that beneficiaries were not put to difficulties in transporting the sand. The State Government had decided to review the progress of Indiramma houses once a week through video conference, the Ministers said directing the districts' administration to resolve the complaints registered through Bhu Bharati speedily.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
Telangana breaks new ground by allocating houses to atrocity survivors
For years, Kumari Hema* never truly belonged anywhere. A 32-year-old mother of one, she moved from colony to colony in Hyderabad, chased by whispers, evicted by landlords, and judged by neighbours who recoiled the moment they learnt the truth: that she was a survivor of sexual assault. 'We used to skip meals just to pay ₹3,500 in rent for a place that barely felt like a home,' she recalled, her voice quivering with emotion. 'Even then, the owners would harass us,' she said. That burden, she says, has now been lifted. Hema is one of several survivors who have been allotted a 2BHK flat in newly-built community housing in the city's emerging residential hubs. This is part of an initiative by the Telangana government under its Indiramma Indlu housing scheme. The homes are being allotted to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) victims of serious crimes, including rape and murder cases, where convictions have been secured, with the aim of offering safety, dignity and a fresh start. 'Now, no one can ask me to leave. I have a house of my own. My name is on the patta certificate. For someone whose name was once on an FIR, this feels like a real identity,' she said, smiling through her eyes. For 27-year-old Sonal*, life too had come to a halt after she was sexually assaulted. A promising engineering student at the time, she dropped out of college and retreated from the world due to the trauma and pain the incident brought. Now, years later, she has cleared the Telangana Law Common Entrance Test and is preparing to start an LLB course through distance education in about a month. 'I stopped believing that a future was even possible,' the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) victim said. 'But things are changing. I've got a second chance in my studies, in my marriage, and now in my own new home.' Sonal, who works part-time as a teacher got married six months ago and is about to move into her new flat with her husband. She is already scouting for nearby schools to work at while continuing her education. Sudha Laxmi*, 35, a mother of two and a domestic worker, has lived in the same locality for nearly three decades. But familiarity did not spare her from stigma after she was assaulted, even after the perpetrator was convicted. 'Neighbours never let me forget it. I faced taunts for years,' she said. 'I'm relieved to leave it all behind.' The women are waiting for final plumbing and electrical work to be completed before they shift into the apartments, built as part of the first phase of the government's broader housing initiative for atrocity victims. Under this phase, 43 survivors in Cyberabad and 25 from Rachakonda have been allotted homes. The district's SC Development Wing, in collaboration with the police, compiles lists of eligible victims. These are cases from 2014 onwards that ended in conviction. The focus, officials say, is on verified cases to avoid legal complications and ensure security. 'These are people who were not just victims of crime, but also of societal neglect. The least we can do is give them a sense of belonging,' said a senior police officer associated with the project. 'The entire process is handled discreetly. In most cases, they are moved into neighbourhoods where others from their community already live.' The 2BHK homes themselves are simple but sufficient. Each flat is 560 square feet, with two bedrooms, a hall, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. The kitchen opens out onto a small balcony with a washing area. Many occupants have chosen to upgrade the flooring, add tiles or false ceilings, or personalise the space in a small but meaningful ways. *Names have been changed to protect the identities of the survivors.
