The Hindu 01.09.2009
ABIDe meet stresses urban poor rights
Staff Reporter
| NGOs press for special programmes for children living in slums and on the streets |
Bangalore: Creation of a single window agency to eradicate poverty and plan for development of urban poor, a comprehensive survey to identify them and land and ownership rights, are among other needs of urban poor discussed during “experts consultation on urban poor” organised by the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development (ABIDe) Task Force here on Monday.
The participants, mainly the representatives of NGOs working for the rights of urban poor, stressed the need to enumerate the number of slums and poor families living besides analysing the migratory trends to enable proper planning.
They also pointed out that 25 per cent of land in all new layouts to be formed by government should be reserved for urban poor besides establishing a land databank for proper allocation of land for housing projects for the urban poor. They have also demanded earmarking 25 per cent of funds raised from auctioning of government land recovered from encroachment for the development of economically weaker sections.
A minimum quantum of water should be supplied free of cost to slum dwellers at public locations. Instead of public-private-partnership programme in water supply for poor, some participants suggested public-people-partnership. Earmarking of 25 per cent of MLA and MP area development fund for urban poor was also suggested.
Many NGOs rooted for special programmes for children living in slums and on the streets as well as a legislation to protect the unorganised sector and for the welfare of construction workers.
Representatives of Karnataka Kolageri Nivasigala Samyukta Sanghatane, Association for the promotion of Social Action, CIVIC, Community Health Cell, Association for Voluntary Action and Services, National Centre for Labour, Karnataka State Construction Workers Central Union presented their suggestions.