AHMEDABAD: A slum-free city by 2011 with affordable housing for the urban poor initiative by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has bagged the civic body national award for Innovations in Services for the Urban Poor, on Wednesday at New Delhi.

Union minister for housing & urban poverty alleviation presented the award to municipal commissioner IP Gautam and Ahmedabad mayor Kanaji Thakore at an event organised by India Urban Space Foundation (IUSF).

AMC is the only municipal corporation to have won the award, for which 166 entries were made by ULBs, NGOs and corporate houses from across the country.

The other three award winners are Akshaya Patra Foundation, Bangalore; Urban Services for Poor, Kolkata; and Sulabh International Social Services Organisation.

The criteria for selection was based on several parameters such as nature of innovation, sustainable implementation and value to the community.