Govt to create society to eliminate urban poverty

Hyderabad, Apr 12 (UNI) In order to eliminate urban poverty and to extend the benefit of bank linkages with ''Pavala Vaddi'' interest of three per cent to the urban poor also, the state government is mulling creation of a registered society called Mission for Elimination of Extreme Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) on the lines of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).

This was proposed by Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA and UD) department as per the earlier directions of the Chief Minister, at a meeting on 'Pavala Vaddi' at secretariat today which was attended by the Minister for MA and UD, Mr Koneru Ranga Rao.

The scheme was aimed at involvement of all the BPL households in the urban areas into SHG groups in next two years and facilitating bank linkages and by taking up other poverty alleviation measures through various economic activities both under Central and state government schemes.

It was mooted that a senior IAS officer should be the Mission Director of the MEPMA and for the time being the project coordinator APUSP was the Mission Director in charge.

UNI