The Hindu 16.01.2010
Magsaysay winner to help build houses for slum dwellers
Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR: Slum dwellers in the capital city may soon realise the dream of owning concrete houses of their own.
Ramon Magsaysay awardee Jockin Arputham, known for his contribution in making lives of slum dwellers in Mumbai better, is likely to play a major role in construction of about 2,000 dwelling units in three slums of Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had floated expression of interest for construction of dwelling units seeking assistance of non-government organisation after no contractor reportedly turned up to participate in the tender invited for development of slum clusters apparently apprehending loss.
Fruitful discussion
“We had a fruitful discussion with Mr. Arputham. Mumbai-based Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC), which the 2000 Magsaysay winner was associated with, is ready to work in our slums. The contract would soon be awarded to SPARC,” said BMC commissioner Gadadhar Parida.
He said under Basic Service to Urban Poor (BSUP), union government would provide assistance to the tune of Rs. 1.7 lakh for construction of each dwelling unit. However, the cost of construction would come around Rs. 2.5 lakh.
“As each slum dweller has to bear 10 per cent of total cost, still Rs. 30,000 per unit has to be arranged. To meet the gap, we went for partnership with NGO as contractors thought projects would be unviable for them for which there was no taker for these projects,” Mr. Parida said.
BMC Slum Development Officer Dillip Routray said 12 clusters in Bharatpur, five clusters in Dumduma and one cluster in Nayapalli Sabarsahi having 1173, 754 and 73 housing units respectively would be developed.
“We hope to complete these projects within two years. Required fund is being sourced from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission,” Mr. Routray said.
Meanwhile, BMC is readying to build a transit house for slum dwellers at Nayapalli Sabarsahi as inhabitants could take shelter during construction of their houses.
