The Business Line 05.04.2010
Rajiv housing scheme to get Rs 3,000 cr next year
Mr Saugata Roy,Union Minister of State for Urban Development.
Our Bureau
Kolkata, April 4 Allocations to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) may increase three folds to Rs 3,000 crore in the next Union Budget with the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) expected to get into full swing in 2010-11, according to Mr Saugata Roy, Union Minister of State for Urban Development.
The scheme has been formulated for slum-dwellers on the lines of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and is aimed at making India slum-free in a few years.
An expert committee, appointed by HUPA and headed by Mr Deepak Parekh to formulate draft guidelines of RAY, will submit its recommendations by this calendar year-end, Mr Roy said on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here on Saturday.
“We are waiting for the committee's report to announce the RAY project in full detail,” Mr Roy said, adding that the report is expected to suggest a public-private partnership model to execute the project.
The Centre has decided to give property rights to slum-dwellers in the new units and the redevelopment of the slums was likely to be taken up in one city at a time rather than focusing on specific slums, he said.
In this context, Mr Roy said, the redevelopment of Dharavi in Maharashtra, Asia's largest slum, might not be the top priority of the Centre.
The Centre is currently evaluating proposals for launching metro railway projects in Chandigarh, Jaipur and Kochi, Mr Roy said.
Having implemented the bus rapid transport system (BRTS) successfully in Ahmedabad and Indore, the Centre is keen on extending the facility in other States, he said. The BRTS provides smooth transit for the city buses by segregating them from other vehicles on the road.
The West Bengal Government had submitted a proposal to the Centre for implementing BRTS from Garia to EM Bypass but the proposal was returned for technical amendments, Mr Roy said. The BRTS could also be implemented on the Barrackpore Trunk Road in Kolkata, he added.