Urban Poor Housing scheme fails in reality- Imphal

Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 24 2013 : In stark contrast to the award and recognition given to the State by Central Government for successful implementation of Urban Housing Scheme under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM), the beneficiaries have not fully received the housing grant and they are now unable to complete their houses.

The Housing Scheme has been taken up in areas within Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) under the name of “Basic Service for Urban Poor”.

The beneficiaries have been chosen from among the families belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) .

The entitlement for each beneficiary is Rs.3 lakhs, out of which Rs.15,000 is the beneficiary’s share while Rs.2.85 lakhs would be given as grant from the government.

The Scheme was started in 2010 under the Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) Department with 1220 beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries have started constructing their houses with their share of Rs.15,000 each and they are supposed to receive the grant in four transactions.However, they have not received the amount even for the third transaction.The poor beneficiaries are now in a state of financial crisis and they are unable to complete their houses.

Notably, the Central Government has given a special award of Rs.3 lakh to the State Government for successful implementation of the Scheme.

The recognition came just after the State Government submitted the Utilization Certificate for the third transaction of this scheme.

But, there are many beneficiaries who have not received the third transaction.The beneficiaries are apprehensive whether they would get the remaining amount of the housing grant or not.They said that the housing scheme is meant for the betterment of their livelihood, but MAHUD has made their livelihood even worse by withholding the transactions.

Moreover, Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) has collected the original land documents of the beneficiaries against the guidelines and norms of this scheme.

New housing scheme “Rajiv Awaaz Yojna” has already been taken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in other States, but this scheme could not be implemented in the State as the previous scheme of Basic Service for Urban Poor is yet to be completed.

The poor beneficiaries are now in a critical state with financial burdens upon them.
They have drawn the attention of the authorities concerned to look into this matter and bring relief to the urban poor people of the State.

‘Middle Cities’ – Are we forgetting to nurture the engines of our future growth?

Cross-posted from IDS Vulnerability and Poverty blog

By Jaideep Gupte

With the world now mostly urban, nearly 60% of our global GDP is generated in only 600 urban centres. Moreover, large urban centres are quite simply the places where growth has been occurring – this is a function of concentrated economic activity. But this story is really about what is yet to come. For the first time, a country like India, with only a third of its population currently urbanised, which is far less than Brazil (86%) or China (47%), is reporting higher population growth in urbanised areas than across its vast rural landscape. In sub-Saharan Africa, the urban population is projected to double by 2030. This growth can be categorised into two significant trends: just under 30% is projected to occur due to what is classically understood as rural-urban migration. Significantly, the rest will occur due to natural increases in urban population, that is, cities and towns generating their own population growth. National planning bodies also have a say in this when they classify peri-urban or peripheral areas as under municipal administration.

This ‘urban-shift’ is going to require resources at a monumental scale – China for example, predicts it will need $8.1 trillion in new investment by 2020 to accommodate its new urban dwellers. Current rates of investments into infrastructure are falling far behind these levels. And not just in terms of scale, but importantly, also in terms of location: focussing on new or projected population growth, the mega-cities of the developing world are quickly being overtaken by a vast number of small and medium sized urban areas, each numbering approximately 100,000 in population. 

These ‘middle’ cities and towns across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are going to be the main hosts of urban growth. Understandably, these town and cities are also the weakest in terms of human capacity, infrastructure or service provision, and have a very thin local tax-base to use for future investment. Local revenue of most of these municipalities is often less than 1% of their country’s GDP. This has created a critical mismatch across a range of sectors, from basic service provision, law and order, to disaster preparedness, which directly impacts our progress on poverty eradication.

 

This is the theme of this year’s Global Monitoring Report – Rural Urban Dynamics and the MDGs, which provides an in-depth analysis on urbanisation as a force for poverty reduction and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. I speak with Jos Verbeek, Lead Economist at the World Bank and Manager of the Global Monitoring Report, on what impact urban development has on rural poverty, what roles and responsibilities the private sector has in fostering urban growth, and how ‘middle’ cities can be supported in becoming engines of our future growth.

 Listen to the conversation below:

Middle cities’ – are we forgetting to nurture the engines of our future growth? by Ids (Uk) on Mixcloud

Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Urban Poverty- Jaipur

Shared by Anshu Singh, PRIA

Under, ‘Strengthening Civil Society Voices on Urban Poverty’, PRIA, initiated an awareness drive in Jaipur. The team is supporting the slum dwellers to obtain relevant information, avail their basic rights and voice their opinion. In Jaipur, it is working in 10 slums for the improvement and upliftment of slum dwellers to make them habitable. To facilitate dialogue sharing between different stakeholders of urban poverty, a consultation was organized on 4 April, 2013 at State Resource Centre, Jhalana Dungri, Jaipur. The consultation was an effort to shape the civil society debate and also to engage the key policy makers and actors, in shaping the policies and programs from citizen’s perspective.

The objectives of the consultation were

• To bring all the stakeholders of urban poverty to a common platform
• To discuss ways in which government programs can be influenced in a positive manner so that it can satisfy community demands.

The consultation was attended by 84 participants including CSOs, CBOs, Research Institutes, Policy makers, Urban Planners, individual Activists, Professional Consultants, slum dwellers and Media from Jaipur. Mayor, Jaipur Municipal Corporation was the Chief Guest of the consultation. Apart from this, the Chief Executive Officer, JMC, Commissioner, Kachchi Basti and Zone Commissioner also attended the consultation. The consultation was concentrated into two thematic sessions viz.:

1. Civil society engagement on urban poverty issues

2. Ongoing initiatives of Government on Urban Poor

Smt. Jyoti Khandelwal, Mayor, addressing the participants of the consultation

Ms. Shaheen, the Community Leader of Bhojpura slum sharing the problems faced

 

Mr. P.N. Mondola, Activist, sharing the challenges of Urban Poor

 The following are some of the suggestions from the consultation:

1. Land rights should be given to persons residing in the city since last three years.
2. For the slums which are covered under RAY, houses should be constructed in- situ so that the slum dwellers do not lose their livelihood.
3. Implementation of National Urban Sanitation Policy
4. IEC for welfare schemes specially those which are for BPL families
5. Implementation of schemes should also be monitored by Government (implementing agency)
6. Make a ‘Consortium of NGOs’ working on Urban issues
7. There should be a monthly interface “Sanjha Sarokar” between the Slum Improvement Committees and respective Zone Commissioners and Parshads to make them aware of the situation
8. NGOs should adopt ‘cluster approach’ e.g. groups of vendors, rickshaw pullers, rag pickers etc., so that they could be trained at  Resource Center of JMC
9. NGOs should conduct research, collect related data and inform the government so that it could be incorporated in the preparation of Master Plan of Jaipur
10. Promotion of Right to Information Act, 2005, Right to Hearing Act, 2012 and Public Service Guarantee Act, 2010.

A copy of the suggestions was circulated to the Mayor, Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC), The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), JMC, Zone Commissioners of respective zones, Commissioner Kachchi Basti and NGOs who participated in the consultation. A meeting was also held with the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan (GoR), Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development, GoR, Director of Local Body, Urban Development, GoR for implementation of the suggestions to improve the condition of the slums.

A meeting was held with the CEO, JMC in which the suggestions of the consultation was shared. He considered its incorporation in the Action Plan of JMC. Another meeting was held with the Chief Secretary, GoR, for sharing the issues of urban poor. He marked the letter to Additional Chief Secretary which was again marked to Director Local Bodies for its processing.

The government authorities have shown a positive attitude for addressing the problems of slum dwellers. Hope this dialogue sharing and conversations would be fruitful in increasing coordination between the slum dwellers and the government officials and also for streamlining the marginalized section of the society. 

Multi-Stakeholder Consultation around urban poverty- Bodhgaya, Bihar

The Buddhist pilgrim town of Bodhgaya caters to large international and domestic tourist, but also houses about 19 slums, holding about 8-10% of the total population of the town in these pockets of urban poverty. Unfortunately, these pockets of the urban poor have not found enough voice in the larger governance of the town and have not sufficiently been able to access their minimum rights.

Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) has been working with the civil society and the urban poor of Bodhgaya, facilitating their participation in schemes directed towards the urban poor. PRIA has over the last two years initiated various activities in Bodhgaya such as:

• Slum Listing: undertaken to evaluate the current scenario in Bodhgaya in respect to number and type of slums in the town, slum population and characteristics, applicable policies, present infrastructure and participatory strengths and potential of the community members in these slum pockets.
• City level consultations and regular interaction with media engaging multiple stakeholders in discussions around urban poverty issues, status and lacunae of popular urban poor schemes such as Rajiv Awas Yojana, role of civil society and development of an exchange platform wherein the service providers and the demand side are able to interact and facilitate a better delivery mechanism.
• Strengthening Community Participation through Slum Improvement Committees: Facilitating formation of a representative committee of the slum dwellers ( in 10 slums of Bodhgaya) . These slum improvement committees are being given necessary trainings, orientation and hand holding support to engage effectively with the government and bridge the gap between the community and the governing bodies. Through SIC, relevant information about various applicable schemes for the urban poor is also shared with the entire slum community. Empowered with knowledge and awareness, the slum community thereby is more equipped to get their rights.

On 15th May 2013, PRIA held another city level consultation as a dialogue platform between the governing bodies, slum dwellers, civil society, academia and the media in Bodhgaya. Present in the consultation, Dr. Hari Manjhi – Member of Parliament from Gaya reflected on how very few urban poor have been as of now been able to access the various development schemes for them, the main reason of which might be lack of awareness and information dissemination. Dr. Prem Kumar – Minister of State Urban Development and Housing Department shared that about 34500 youths in Bihar are being provided skill development trainings in 17 trades under SGRSY, CDP of 28 cities is being prepared under SPUR, and the minster assured construction of dwellings for urban poor through in-situ up gradation. He also mentioned about the urban poor women convention – Self Help Group, that has been formulated in Gaya under Support Programs for Urban Reforms in Bihar(SPUR).

Mr. Dine Kr. S h,Vice Chairperson Bodh Gaya, Nagar Panchayat expressed the delimmas and issues that confront the Nagar Panchayat for smooth functioning, coordination with District Administration, devolution of functions and the capacity of the Nagar Panchayat itself. These issues for certain also result in an inadequate address of urban poverty issues in Bodhgaya.

Interestingly, even though today in times of election and political change, the Bihar Government has been actively promoting and boasting its development report. This report however as highlighted by the academia present in the Consultation cater to the issues of urban poor very superficially and inadequately.

The consultation was also an opportunity for PRIA, Civil Society members and the community at large represented through SIC to share the various initiatives taken together by them and the main issues that the urban poor pockets are facing in the city. Such city level consultations are must to create the necessary accountable environment for the urban poor. 

Poverty reduction lesson for India in Nepal

By Saira Kurup, Times of India

For lessons in poverty alleviation, India should turn to its poorer neighbours. An Oxford University study of 22 countries, released this week, has found Nepal and Bangladesh to be among the top three nations, along with Rwanda, that have reduced poverty in absolute terms.

The study, ‘How multidimensional poverty went down: Dynamics and comparison’ conducted by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), says that the two South Asian countries show real progress is possible even if they don’t have durable peace, political stability or even a decent per capita income. The countries were judged on OPHI’s multidimensional poverty index (MPI), having indicators like child mortality, nutrition, number of years of schooling, access to toilets, cooking fuel, water and electricity.

Various forces have fuelled Nepal’s and Bangladesh’s development  but two stand out. Sabina Alkire, director of OPHI and lead author of the study, says, “It is well-known that part of Bangladesh’s tremendous progress is due to the role of NGOs, and to women’s empowerment.”

They are the force behind many microcredit, health and education programmes, but Bangladesh’s NGOs also stayed focused on the poor. Political consensus aided them and “they were helped by media advocacy too,” points out Saroj Dash, technical coordinator (climate change), of international NGO Concern Worldwide, Dhaka. He adds, “India has had a longer civil society experience. But the Indian development model has been affected by social exclusion, and new challenges like migration, displacement and climate change are inducing poverty. The development model in Nepal and Bangladesh is more inclusive.”

The Indian civil society has also become exclusive, says Amitabh Kundu, professor of economics and dean of School of Social Sciences at JNU, Delhi. “In the 70s and 80s, it was a pro-poor lobby. But in the last two decades, the middle class has captured the civil society movement.”

Another key problem in India is the neglect of health and education, especially of women, say experts. World Bank figures show that in 18 years (1991-2007), Bangladesh’s female literacy in 15-24 age group jumped from 38% to 77 %. Both Bangladeshis and Nepalis have better life expectancy than Indians, and lower infant mortality. Social policy investments, more jobs, free birth control, better access to health and education, and microcredit have given Bangladeshi women control over fertility and finances.

India, too, needs to prioritise all these indicators and discard its outdated definition of poverty, says Dash. Currently, the government defines the poor as those who spend less than Rs 28 per day in urban areas and Rs 22.50 in rural areas. “Poverty lines reflect a value judgement, and judging a person with Rs 29/day in urban areas, or Rs 23/day in rural areas to be non-poor does not seem to be consistent with even basic standards of living,” says Alkire.

Next Asian tigers?

* Nepal, Bangladesh had the largest absolute reductions in MPI poverty

* Nepal’s progress was fastest — incidence of poverty fell from 65% to 44% in five years (2006-11)

* Between 1999-2006, India reduced poverty at less than one-third of the speed of its poorer neighbours

* At the current rate, Nepal and Bangladesh could eradicate poverty within 20 years, and India in 41 years

Source: Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative study

Urban Street Vendor Bill: Possibilities and Lacunae

By Alok Pandey and Suman Bhanoo, PRIA

Street vendors form a very important section of the informal sector in the country.  As per National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, 2009, it is estimated that in several cities street vendors count for about 2 per cent of the population. Street vending is not only important source of self-employment to the poor in urban area but also a means to provide‘ affordable’ as well as ‘convenient’ services to a majority of the urban population and contribute in economic growth of city. It wouldn’t be wrong if we say, directly or indirectly street vendors assist the government in combating unemployment and poverty. Public authorities usually regard them as a nuisance and as encroachers of roadways and do not appreciate the valuable services that they provide to urban population.

              To keep in view Union Cabinet has approved a legislation to protect the livelihood of street vendors and provide them more legal vending space in urban areas. Once it becomes law, street vendors hope it could shield them from unabated harassment and extortion by police and municipal officials. Anxious to regain confidence of aam aadmi ahead of 2014 general elections, the housing and urban poverty alleviation (HUPA) ministry has fixed the norms for permissible street vendors or hawkers in any city, zone or ward at 2.5% of the respective population. Once the new norms are applicable, Mumbai will have around 4.6 lakh legal vending space for hawkers, Delhi (4.07 lakh), Kolkata (3.5 lakh) and Chennai (2.17 lakh).

Source: Census, 2011

Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation minister Mr. Ajay Makan is pushing hard to introduce the bill in Parliament at the earliest. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2013, which was reworked after recommendations of the standing committee, aims to take away arbitrary powers of civic authorities and police and vested the power to frame rules and regulate street vending in the hands of town vending committee, which would have majority of members from among street vendors. The town vending committees would have 50% representatives from government, which would encompass police, local administration and officers from health division. While remaining 40% representation of street vendor associations and 10% of their elected representatives of vendor organizations. The Bill will enable street vendors to get registered and work with dignity. The Bill requires every street vendor to be registered with the town vending committee. Each registered street vendor will be given an identity card. The newspaper clipping is attached herewith

This bill will surely benefit larger section of urban strata. According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, there are 10 million street vendors in the country. Mumbai alone accounts for 250,000 street vendors, while Delhi has 200,000. There are over 150,000 street vendors in Kolkata and over 100,000 in Ahmedabad. Due to this bill 4.5 crore population of cities will get direct benefit.

  No doubt bill has lots of positive things for street vendors which will prevent them from day to day harassment. Parallely there are some lacunae in proposed bill – as per the bill, street vendors or hawkers in any city, zone or ward would be 2.5% of the respective population.

However, we can’t standardize the percentage of hawkers as the 2.5% of populations. Every city, zone and ward has different geographic and demographic characteristics. We can’t compare Delhi with Mumbai in terms of population, area and arrangement, because both cities have different structures and different requirement. The city’s development is another important factor that should be considered. There is a sheer need to consider city’s growth pattern, whether it is growing vertically and horizontally.  One might hypothize that if city growth is taking place horizontally then it requires more vendors and if growth pattern is vertical then there is comparatively less need of vendors.

Let’s hope that the proposed law may not end up being just a cosmetic law which cannot ensure protection of the rights of the marginalized professionals.

                         

When slum dwellers are heard! – City level urban poverty consultation at Raipur

Society for Participatory Research in Asia(PRIA) and Chetna Child and Women Welfare Society have been working together in 7 slums of Raipur towards increasing the participation of the slum dwellers in various urban poverty schemes and increasing the accountability of the service providers towards the needs and rights of these slum communities. In this process of strengthening the voices of the urban poor, collectivisation of the community has been the propagated approach. Slum Improvement Committees (SIC) have been formulated and these have further been facilitated by capacity building and adequate orientation towards applicable urban poverty schemes and their own rights. All the SICs have also been encouraged to hold exchange platforms with each other and the service providers and other stakeholders to discuss about various issues and possible solution.

A similar consultation was organised on 9 May 2013 at Viridian Hall at Raipur which brought together SIC members of Tarun Nagar, Chandrashekar Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Kashiram Nagar, Durga Nagar and Indira Nagar and governing leaders of Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) including Mayor Dr. kiranmayee Nayak, RMC Speaker and Chairman of Zone-3- Sanjay Shrivastav, Zone-3 commissioner- Manoj Singh, Zone -4 Commissioner B.K. Bansvar and active participation of several NGOs.

The SIC representatives took this opportunity and platform to make the governing body and other participants aware of the issues that are affecting them, such as lack of tenure rights, unplanned resettlement, illegal  resettlement of already resettled slums, issues faced by slums situated on railway land, need and right of in-situ slum upgradation and need for adequate participation of the slum community in central and state level schemes such as Rajiv Awas Yojana that are directed towards welfare of the urban poor.

The voices of the slum dwellers were heard and the service providers did give certain assurance to the SIC representatives, such as:

• The Mayor assured that in-situ upgradation shall be taken up as a priority and resettlement to other locations shall be avoided as much as feasible. She also promised a much greater and effective participation of the slum dwellers in slum-free city planning under Rajiv Awas Yojana in the city. Also she promised to discuss the dilemma of people residing on the railway land with the Divisional Railway Managar.
• RMC Speaker and Chairman of Zone-3 assured that through the formulated SICs, the slum dwellers from now onwards would have active participation in not just issue assessment but also decision making.
• Commissioners of Zone 3 and Zone 4 also advised the SIC members to register their written complaints to relevant zone offices to speed up the mitigation activities.

The civil society members inclusive of PRIA, Chetna, other NGOs and the formulated SICs pledged to work together towards the improvement of lives of the urban poor and adequately work along with RMC to facilitate a participatory and effective delivery mechanism to the urban poor.