CHANDIGARH: On the occasion of HUDCO Day (Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited) on April 25, State Urban Poverty Alleviation Cell of the Chandigarh municipal corporation was chosen for the Best Practices Award 2012-13 in the category of urban poverty alleviation, environment and infrastructure.

The award was given by Arun Kumar Mishra, secretary ministry of housing
and urban poverty alleviation at Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on
Thursday.

Three best practices and social innovative ideas in
the field of partnership and convergence, namely “Learning on wheels” in
association with commonwealth youth programme, eco-friendly handbags
manufacturing by HIV+ urban poor women self help group, and women as
change agents in building leadership and bringing change in their
community were nominated and selected by Human Settlement Management
Institute (HSMI).

In the first case, the concept of mobile
training has given a new outlook and dimension to skill training in
reaching the unreached vulnerable sections.

In the second
category, a SHG has been formed under urban women self help programme by
involving 10 HIV+ women from slums and rehabs for manufacturing
eco-friendly bags.

This initiative is under a sustained
handholding of Chandigarh network of Positive Living, a local
community-based organization of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The award was received by a group of MC officials, including city mayor
Subhash Chawla, municipal commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh and Vivek
Trivedi, social development officer, SJSRY, State UPA Cell, municipal
corporation, Chandigarh.