The Times of India               13.05.2013

Civic body survey of 35% slums complete

AURANGABAD: The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has completed more than 35% of the survey of the city's slums as part of the first phase of the Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY).

AMC executive engineer Sikandar Ali on Sunday said the rest of the survey would be completed in the next six months. "As part of the Rajiv Awas Yojana, the government conducts a socio-economic survey of slum dwellers. Other procedures carried out include the issuance of biometric identity cards, generation of web-enabled database, development of maps and preparation of slum rehabilitation plans. The government will plan a housing scheme for slum dwellers after all the other procedures are completed," Ali said.

He also said that more than one lakh houses will be required to accommodate the four lakh citizens who are below the poverty line in Aurangabad city. From the total population of 13 lakh, around 30 to 35 % stay in slums. RAY is a central government scheme aimed at making cities free of slums.

Ali said municipal commissioner Harshdeep Kamble was supervising the survey was initiated in January 2013. He added that two AMC appointed agencies - Seema Consultants and Arc Associates — are conducting the survey.

"The survey is only one part of the ambitious project of the Union government. It will take around five years to complete the project. In the initial phase we are collecting the information of households in all the 53 slum areas in the city. We have covered almost 80 % of the households in these areas and the remaining 20 % households will be covered in eight to ten days. In the next phase, all households in the undeclared 118 city slums will be covered," Ali added.

Quazi Noor of Seema Consultants said that around 100 surveyors were deployed for the job. In addition to this, municipal ward representatives are also supporting the cause," he said.

Amit Bhuigal, a ward representative, organized a survey camp in his municipal ward in Labour Colony on Sunday. He said around three slum dwellers had provided details as per requirements. "We will conduct camps at many public places to encourage residents for the scheme," he said.

The government had sanctioned a fund of Rs 7.5 crore for the survey out of which the municipality has received Rs 1.36 crore. Sikandar Ali said the second installment would soon be released by the government.

The survey is only one part of the ambitious project of the Union government. It will take around five years to complete the project.