No bias in funds for urban and rural poverty alleviation: Min

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) The Government today denied any bias in fund allocation for alleviation of urban poverty compared to rural poverty, saying that Rs 155.8 crore and Rs 167.1 crore has been released through the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) and Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) respectively for urban poverty alleviation.

Giving this information, Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja told the Rajya Sabha today in a written reply that as per the 2001 Census, the total slum population was put at 4.26 crore approximately in 640 cities/towns having a population of more than 50,000 as per the Census.

The three cities having the maximum slum population in the country were Greater Mumbai with 64,75,440 slum dwellers followed by Delhi with 18,51,231 and Kolkata with 14,85,309.

The Minister said that the employment-oriented urban poverty alleviation scheme of SJSRY, implemented by her ministry, was applicable to all urban poor living below the poverty line in urban areas.

So far 94,067 urban poor had been trained and 42.86 lakh mandays of work generated in 2005-06 under the scheme, she said.

UNI SD VD HS1437