Telangana Auto Nagar Colony: 2,000 Flats for Auto Drivers

A home tied to a profession

Most housing welfare in India is based on income or social category. This scheme stands out because it is tied to a particular job. The proposal came from the Vice Chairman & Housing Commissioner of the Telangana Housing Board, and the government accepted it in full.

The Housing Board picked four corners of the city so that drivers could live near their usual routes. According to the G.O., 500 EWS flats each will be built at Bandlaguda (LIC Colony), Gandamguda, Petbasheerabad and Jalpally/Laxmiguda.

Auto Nagar Colony will not have a separate rulebook. The Board will use the same guidelines, eligibility criteria, financial assistance, reservation provisions, and selection and allotment procedures that apply to the Indiramma Indlu-Towers already being built in the city for the poor. The only extra condition is that beneficiaries must be auto-rickshaw workers.

"Permission is hereby accorded to the Telangana Housing Board for implementation of the proposed scheme, with an indicative project cost of Rs 220 crore, and to undertake further action towards implementation. Necessary detailed project reports and financial proposals shall be submitted after verification of land availability, site suitability and technical feasibility," the G.O. reads.

Why it matters beyond 2,000 homes

The order links the scheme to the state's stated goals of "Indiramma Indlu for every poor family" and a "Hut-free Telangana". It is also part of a larger housing plan. The government has already given in-principle approval for one lakh affordable ownership flats in the CURE area and municipal corporations, in the LIG and MIG categories, based on a demand survey. It has also approved 12,000 flats as a pilot project in the CURE area.

The order still leaves some practical questions open. It does not say how a driver will prove that they are an "auto-rickshaw worker". It also does not say whether drivers who rent their vehicles will be treated the same as those who own them. Since the Indiramma Indlu-Towers rules apply, many of these details will likely be settled when beneficiary selection starts.

For now, the project is only approved on paper. The next real milestones will be the DPRs, the land checks and the financial proposals. The government is using housing as welfare for a specific group of workers, and Auto Nagar Colony could become a template for other informal workers in the city.

With inputs from IANS