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Slum Development / Housing

Allotment of low-cost houses awaits nod of Govt panel

Tuesday, 23 November 2010 06:56 administrator
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The Pioneer  23.11.2010

Allotment of low-cost houses awaits nod of Govt panel

Staff Reporter | New Delhi

The allotment of low cost houses for slum dwellers is likely to be delayed further as Delhi Government on Monday constituted a high-powered committee to frame a broad policy for providing shelter to vulnerable sections and facilitate swift allotment of around 8,900 low-cost houses to them.

A Cabinet meeting, presided by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, deliberated at length on the building collapse incident in east Delhi that had claimed 70 lives and decided to frame a comprehensive housing policy for the homeless and those living in slum clusters. The Delhi Cabinet also discussed the strategy for the winter session of Delhi Assembly beginning from Tuesday.

A three-member committee comprising Finance Minister Ashok Kumar Walia, PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and Social Welfare Minister Mangat Ram Singhal has been tasked to frame the policy based on the broad contours of the framework already prepared by Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta. Strangely

"The Chief Secretary has already prepared a policy paper. The committee comprising the PWD, Urban Development and Social Welfare Ministers will finalise it," Dikshit said. The Committee has also been asked to frame guidelines for distribution of around 16,000 low-cost houses, built by DSIIDC in Narela, Dwarka, Bhorgarh and Bawana, to the vulnerable section at the earliest. Walia said another 7,900, being constructed by Urban Development department will be made available for distribution within next six months.

He said Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) had constructed a total of 1,024 low-cost dwelling units in Dwarka and Dikshit had also directed to take steps for their distribution. "In total we will have around 17,000 flats in our disposal for distribution among the slum dwellers," he said.

Officials said the ministerial committee has been told to frame the housing policy keeping in mind recent direction of Union Urban Development Ministry for distribution of the low cost houses.As per existing Delhi Government rules, a slum dweller is eligible for government accommodation if he or she stayed in the city for five years.

In its direction, the Ministry had asked the Delhi Government not to stick to its earlier cut off year of 2002 for getting low cost houses in the city as only 20 per cent of the slum dwellers will get allocation if the criteria are not revised. The Centre had asked Delhi to make 2007 as cut off year for allotment of low cost houses. "We will discuss all the aspects and come out with a comprehensive policy," said Walia, adding the terms and references of the committee has yet to be finalized.

Mehta, who is examining the issue, said currently there are 86 slum clusters in the city where a total of 17,000 to 18,000 families are living. "The Centre has told us that they will bore the cost of the housing project only if a whole cluster is removed. But there are complex issues involved in providing accommodation toall the families," he said. Citing an example, he said in the slum clusters too there are families who are living in rented accommodation. "So how do we give the flats. Whom to give. To the original owner or to those who are staying in his house." Asked what should be the cut off year for ensuring government accommodation for majority of homeless and slum dwellers, Mehta refused to give a direct reply but said government will find a way out.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 November 2010 06:57
 

Slum-dwellers protest against eviction notices

Tuesday, 23 November 2010 04:11 administrator
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The Hindu       23.11.2010

Slum-dwellers protest against eviction notices

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: Residents of Ambedkarnagar at Chinamushidivada laid siege to the municipal corporation office on Monday deploring the eviction notices issued to them and demanding that they be provided power and water until the slum was developed under a government housing scheme.

A large number of residents who came to the municipal office on Monday, the day on which grievances are received, stormed the office of Commissioner V.N. Vishnu.

According to State vice-president of Progressive Organisation for Women M. Lakshmi, who led the protest along with K. Ravi of Murikivada Nivasula Samkshema Sangham, 308 families have been living on the konda poramboke land in Survey No.114. The land was taken off VUDA auction in 2004 after a letter by the then District Collector Praveen Prakash. Subsequently, Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Meena wrote a letter to the district Collector recommending issue of Land Possession Certificates.

The Collector wrote to the Pendurty Tehsildar. While LPCs were not issued, the MRO handed over a total of 35 acres, including the four acres on which they were living, to the GVMC, Ms. Lakshmi said.

The lists from the time Mr. Meena wrote the letter contained 308 beneficiaries. However, in the eviction notice issued by the Town Planning Department, 240 families were mentioned, Ms. Lakshm said wondering how eviction notices were issued stating that dwellings were built afresh.

Municipal Commissioner V.N. Vishnu said the slum was included in RAY for construction of ‘G+3' structures. In the meanwhile, a committee, comprising two members each from the Town Planning and Urban Community Development wings and three members of the slum-dwellers' association would identify beneficiaries.

 

Slums get loos, but families need one of their own

Friday, 19 November 2010 10:47 administrator
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The Times of India           19.11.2010

Slums get loos, but families need one of their own

PUNE: Nearly 80 per cent of Pune's poor have access to at least one community toilet. This is a significant improvement of approximately 20 per cent over the last decade.

However, community toilets are a stop-gap arrangement and a permanent solution to effective urban sanitation is individual toilets for families, said Pratima Joshi, executive director of Shelter Associates on Thursday.

The city-based NGO comprising architects, social workers, GIS experts and community workers has been working with the urban poor to facilitate and provide technical support to community-managed housing (slum rehabilitation) and infrastructure projects.

"Shelter Associates carried out a survey of 211 slums in 2000-01 which constituted about 70 per cent of Pune's poor. The toilet/person ratio was grim, it ranged from 1:50 to 1:1000 across several slums," she said.

The NGO revisited around 100 slums in 2008 as part of its urban poverty redistribution strategies for the National Institute of Urban Affairs. "Over 400 toilet blocks have been built since 2001 due to efforts taken by then municipal commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad," said Joshi.

The scheme invited bids from NGOs for toilet construction to boost community participation in construction, design and maintenance. The PMC spent over Rs 20 crores on the project, and ensured sanitation for over half a million people.

"However, another survey of toilet blocks in the city is needed. We should re-prioritise areas with poor sanitation facilities. Slums should be categorised into those with no toilet facilities and/or those areas where facilities are so dilapidated that they need replacement and the others where the toilet to person ratio is less than 1:50. Here, additional toilet blocks should be constructed. Of the 100 slums surveyed, there are as many as 34 slums with such a ratio," Joshi said.

The slum improvement programme should establish a regular community toilet maintenance programme. where funds should be allocated for the upkeep of community toilets. It should look into leaking pipes, broken tiles or commode, broken window panes, lights and non-functional flushes. This would reduce recurring dilapidation and provide a more sustainable, long-term solution. The monetary allocation can be based on a number of community toilet blocks, assuming an annual maintenance of Rs 10,000 per block, Joshi said.

"However, individual toilets are a must. An effective way is to float a cost-sharing model wherein the PMC, along with NGOs can share the cost of building toilets with families. The PMC's ambitious project to reimburse individual families who built their own toilets up to Rs 15,000 met with little success. The paperwork was too cumbersome, the awareness too little, and the cost too high," she said.

"Our recent experience with providing toilets to 90 families in Shivrainagar in the Bibvewadi ward has proved the efficacy of the cost-sharing model. The families contributed to building their toilets and for the drainage lines. Our NGO contributed some portion of the funds," Joshi added.
 
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