House warming for 3L houses a 'Guinness world record event';AP

: In what it claimed was a 'Guinness World Record event', the Andhra Pradesh government today conducted house-warming celebration for three lakh houses to the weaker sections across the state.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the programme from here while ministers and local legislators took part in the event in their respective districts.

Despite financial difficulties,the state government has so far built 5,80,530 houses at a cost of Rs 6,205 crore under the NTR Housing Scheme, the Chief Minister said on the occasion.

A total of 19 lakh houses would be built for the weaker sections by 2019 at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore, he added.

House-warming function for three lakh houses in one go is a record. We could find place in the Guinness World Records.We will inaugurate another three lakh houses on October 2," Chandrababu said.

He alleged that the previous Congress government swindled Rs 4,150 crore by building houses not fit for living.

Housing Minister Kalva Srinivasulu said the governments aim was to make Andhra Pradesh hut-free by the year 2020.

"We are making the dream of every poor family come true by building a house though the Centre is granting meager assistance," he added.

While the unit cost of each house in rural areas is Rs 1.5 lakh, the state government is bearing Rs 95,000 and the balance is being pooled through MGNREGP under different components, officials of the AP Housing Corporation said.

Vijayawada Mayor Koneru Sridhar, MPs K Ravindra Kumar, K Narayana, J C Diwakar Reddy, Law Minister K Ravindra, Housing Secretary Kantilal Dande and others attended.