The Hindu       06.09.2010

Foundation laid for housing colonies under JNNURM

Staff Reporter

Shelter for poor: Ministers Sabita Indra Reddy, Danam Nagender and Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav distributing house site pattas to beneficiaries at Gurubrahma Nagar on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: A home to call one's own happens to be the dream of everyone and the State government was committed to the promise of fulfilling this aspiration, Minister for Home P. Sabita Indra Reddy said here on Sunday.

Participating in the foundation-laying ceremony of housing colonies under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) at Gurubrahma Nagar, Jubilee Hills, the Minister said more than 78,000 houses were being taken up in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) jurisdiction. On Sunday, foundation stone was laid for 272 dwellings at Gurubrahma Nagar and 256 houses at Dhobighat, together being taken up at a cost of Rs.18.09 crore.

In his address, Minister for Health and Family Welfare D. Nagender said the government's various initiatives on social welfare front had the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in jitters. “The TDP seeks to question installation of YSR's statues but they have no right to question it,” he said.

All amenities

Mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy promised to ensure that all amenities were provided in these housing colonies and asked the GHMC to have the work completed expeditiously. Though the Chief Minister K. Rosaiah was to participate in the function, he did not turn up and Mr. Nagender informed the absence as doctor's advice for rest. Those present on the occasion included the Member of Parliament, Anjan Kumar Yadav and GHMC Commissioner, Sameer Sharma.

The Economic Times  04.09.2010

NEW DELHI: Despite the country's robust economic growth, around 93.06 million people will live in slums in cities by next year, an increase of around 23% since 2001 forced by a lack of space and means.

According to an expert committee set up to estimate "reliable" urban slum population, there has been a growth of 17.8 million across the country in the last decade.

Defending the increase in slum population figures, minister for housing and urban poverty alleviation Kumari Selja said this trend is on expected lines due to a spurt in urbanisation. However, she assured that the percentage would come down, with the efforts of UPA-II towards slum development and rehabilitation.

The committee, headed by Pranab Sen, principal adviser to the Planning Commission and former chief statistician, pointed out that the projected slum population in 2011 would be go up to 93.06 million from 75.26 million that was estimated in 2001 as per the new methodology. The 2001 Census figures peg the slum population at 52.4 million.

By next year, 31.63 lakh people will be living in slums in Delhi as compared to 23.18 lakh in 2001, going by the panel's methodology.

Among the states, Maharastra tops the chart with around 1.815 crore will be living in slums in 2011, followed by Uttar Pradesh (1.087 crore), Tamil Nadu (86.44 lakh), West Bengal (85.46 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh (81.88 lakh).

The ministry appointed the committee to come out with reliable slum data to ensure better implementation of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) that aims to eradicate slums in India.

Selja said there was "paucity of correct data earlier" as small towns were left out, and the new definition put forth by the committee would serve as a guideline for Slum Census 2011 and state governments.

A major reason for the total slum population being underreported was due to the fact that the Census 2001 took into account only notified slums in 1,764 towns across the country.

Officials attributed the rise in slum figures to wider definition of slum and expanding the coverage as the committee has factored in all 5,161 towns, including 3,799 statutory towns, and has also modified the definition of slum as followed by the Registrar General of India (RGI), which conducts the Census.

Selja said the target of achieving a slum-free India in five years, as outlined by President Pratibha Patil, was not unachievable if states cooperate fully.

Admitting that urban population is growing and there are many challenges to realise the goal, the minister said, " UPA government has committed itself to RAY and money should not be a constraint".

The committee recommended to adopt a normative definition based on appropriate indicators and checklists for the purpose of identification of slum areas and enumeration of population of area with 20-25 households, having slum-like characteristics in an enumeration block in Census 2011.

All clusters of 20-25 or more households having no roofs or non-concrete roofs, and not having any facility of drinking water, toilets or drainage will be considered as slums. Earlier, the cluster size for identification of slums was 60 households.

The panel has suggested that for the purpose of policy formulation -- for Slum Census 2011 -- it is absolutely essential to "count the slum population even in cities having less than 20,000 population".

The committee has recommended that Registrar General of India, which is conducting the 2011 survey, should share layout maps with the ministry as an aid for slum surveys.