NEED FOR PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT AND CIVIC AMENITIES
TO URBAN POOR
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO URBAN
DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY MEETS
Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation,
Shri Bandaru Dattatraya emphasized the need for providing adequate
shelter and employment along with water supply, sanitation, primary
education facility, health care to the people living below poverty
line in urban areas.
Addressing the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Parliament
attached to the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation
here today, Shri Dattatraya said that efforts would be made to
converge the aims and objectives of various urban poverty alleviation
schemes so as to create sustainable support systems for the urban
poor in a focused manner. The meeting was convened to review urban
poverty alleviation programmes.
The Minister further stated that as part of Government’s initiative
to provide ‘housing for all’, a new housing scheme Valmiki
– Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) was launched by the Prime Minister
recently, with the objective of providing shelter or upgrading
the existing shelter for people living below the poverty line
in urban slums. Project proposals under VAMBAY worth Rs. 73.56
crores were approved during 2001-2002 and central subsidy released
to 16 states and union territories. During the current financial
years, central subsidy to the tune of Rs. 17.83 crores has already
been sanctioned to 9 states and union territories. VAMBAY also
has a component known as "Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan" to provide
basic amenities such as sanitation and community toilets to slum
dwellers.
Members of Parliament stressed the need for providing housing
for economically weaker sections of society when planning a new
colony, as slum dwellers provide useful service to the residents
of those colonies. Pointing out that most of the urban poor have
a low level of awareness about various urban poverty alleviation
schemes, Smt. Shyama Singh, MP, emphasized the necessity for creating
awareness about the schemes among the potential beneficiaries.
Calling for launching an awareness campaign for promoting sanitation
habits among slum dwellers, Smt. Shyama Singh said that the focus
should be on providing sanitation, generating employment opportunities
and creating shelter and housing for the urban poor.
Shri C. Perumal, MP, observed that rules and regulations under
various urban poverty alleviation schemes should be simplified
for the benefit of the beneficiaries. Shri Akbar Ali Khandoker,
MP, said that ongoing central schemes for the welfare of urban
poor should be widely publicized so that a vast section of population
could benefit from those schemes. He also observed that due care
should be taken to see that grants for central schemes are properly
utilized by the states.
Shri Nepal Chandra Das, MP, underlined the need for sanctioning
more projects for the urban poor in the north-eastern states.
Dr. (Smt.) Anita Arya, MP, pointed out that many slum dwellers,
who were relocated to peripheral areas of Delhi, have not yet
been provided with civic and social infrastructure. She expressed
the view that before slums were relocated, it should be ensured
that all necessary infrastructure were provided in such places.
