Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Slum Development / Housing

Govt to launch housing scheme for slum dwellers, urban poor

Friday, 17 July 2009 12:25 administrator
Print PDF

Business Standard 17.07.2009

Govt to launch housing scheme for slum dwellers, urban poor

Press Trust of India / New Delhi July 17, 2009, 15:11 IST
 

The government today said that it was planning to launch a new housing scheme for slum dwellers and urban poor.

"The government proposes to launch 'Rajiv Awas Yojana' in the country for slum dwellers and urban poor. The scheme would extend support to states willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas," Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja informed the Lok Sabha.

"The government's effort would be to create slum free India through the scheme in next five years," she said in a written reply.

In 2009, the government has launched interest subsidy scheme for housing the urban poor. The scheme is aimed at providing subsidy up to 5 per cent on a loan of Rs 1 lakh availed by the poor.

Meanwhile, replying to another question, Selja said the government would revise building by-laws to make rain water harvesting mandatory in all buildings.

 

GHMC sleeping on houses for poor

Wednesday, 08 July 2009 11:31 administrator
Print PDF

Source : Deccan Chronicle Date : 08.07.2009

GHMC sleeping on houses for poor

Hyderabad

July 7: Though the state government had plans to allot over 42,000 flats to the poor before the GHMC polls, the corporation has been able to complete only 17,000 flats. However, of the total 17,000 flats completed, almost 12,000 were allotted before the Assembly elections to beneficiaries mostly from Ranga Reddy district. The remaining 5,000 flats will be allotted to families from Hyderabad by the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, during his city tour beginning on July 13.

The state government had initially wanted to allot these houses before the Assembly elections. The corporation had even received a financial sanction for these flats from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Sources said the project was being completed at a snail’s pace due to litigations over the sites selected for building the housing colonies. The corporation has not able to hand over the project sites to the contractors. Due to the delay, the construction cost of each flat increased. While the JNNURM authorities sanctioned Rs 1 lakh per unit, the cost per unit has increased to Rs 2 lakh.

The GHMC engineer-in-chief, Mr Panduranga Rao said that works on the remaining 25,000 flats were yet to begin. “Due to increase in unit cost, we are planning to execute this project under a different scheme. Works will start shortly,” he added.

 

Millionaire fund for sleek, slum-free India

Tuesday, 07 July 2009 09:58 administrator
Print PDF
Source : The Times of India Date : 07.07.2009
SWINGING CITIES

Millionaire fund for sleek, slum-free India

TEAM TOI

With revamp of urban i n f r a s t r u c t u re among the top priorities of the UPA-2 government, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has enhanced the budget of its flagship programme — Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission — to pump in a whopping Rs 12,887 crore for urban renewal and Rs 3,973 crore for its grand vision of “making India slumfree in five years”.


The final allocation for 2009-10 is around Rs 1,000 crore more than the Rs 11,842 crore set aside for urban renewal in the interim Budget. This is quite a jump from Rs 6,247 crore allocated in the 2008-09 Budget, which had gone up to Rs 10,447.98 crore in revised estimates. With more and more people moving into city slums, urban renewal has become a necessity of sorts. In the government’s view, substantial investment in this sector is key to maintaining India’s high growth and protecting the economy from global recession.


A special allocation of Rs 3,973 crore has been made to meet the spiralling housing need of the vulnerable sections. There’s currently a shortage of 2.6 crore housing units, 98% for which is meant for the economically weaker and low-income groups. The government has already sanctioned around 463 projects worth Rs 49,744 crore under the seven-year mission which started in 2005.


While rebuilding urban infrastructure, the Centre is also pushing its reform agenda, including repeal of the urban land ceiling act, reform of rent control laws, a push for reasonable user charges and rationalization of stamp duty — all aimed at reviving municipal governance. The huge money made available under the scheme has forced unwilling states to toe this agenda.


The government clearly sees urban renewal as an important social and economic intervention for improving the quality of life of slumdwellers and the poor. Under the Rajiv Awas Yojana announced by the president, the Centre wants to ensure housing and basic services to slumdwellers. In the interim Budget, there was a special allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for this purpose.


JNNURM’s initial focus was on 63 mission cities with million plus populations, state capitals and cities with historical importance. But the mission was extended to Tier II & III cities for developing infrastructure in small and medium towns.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 July 2009 10:36
 
More Articles...


Page 114 of 118