15 per cent land be reserved for urban poor in cities:Govt

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja today urged the states to reserve 10-15 per cent of the city land for construction of houses for the poor in view of skyrocketing prices of real estate in open market.

Replying to supplementaries to the question on latest 'UN-Habitat Report' on the state of World's cities -2006-07 in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said the government agrees with the report that urban poverty and slum development should be brought to the central stage of the country's development agenda.

The report has projected the urban slum population in India at 219.47 million in 2020, a majority of which will not find land for constructing housing in the cities and towns due to spiraling prices.

Since the urban land is a state subject, the state governments have to come forward to reserve land for the poor for constructing affordable house for them, the report added.

''We cannot wish away the urban poor and look at slum dwellers as eyesore..they are a reliable workforce and contributing to the country's GDP...Hence we have to do something for improving their lot,'' Ms Selja said.

She, however, said India did not agree with the UN parameters laid down for determining the condition of slum dwellers which include, availability of water, per-capita housing space, sanitation and other facitilies. On the other hand, Indian standards for a slum were holing up of 300 people in 60-70 shanty housing cluster with no basic amenities, she added.

Several members wanted that the government should develop the rural areas with provision of adequate job opportunities to stem the migration from the village to the cities.

But, the Minister said migration and mobility of citizens could not be stopped by such measures as evey person had the right to move anywhere of his choice. ''And, such mobility should not be checked in a growing economy like ours..but we have to expand and build urban infrastructure for accomodating the poor too.'' She sought the attention of the state governments and support in tackling the housing problem for the urban poor ''which is getting acute by the day''.

Besides housing, the urban poor has to be covered under health, education and social security schemes besides providing them civic amenities.

The MPs from Eastern UP and Bihar were much agitated over the lack of facilities for the urban poor and said about fifty per cent of slum population in cities and towns of the country originally belonged to their area, popularly known as 'poorvanchal'.

UNI

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