The
Government of India has launched Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) as Centrally Sponsored
Scheme on 3.9.2013 for the period of 2013-2022. This was stated by Dr. (Ms.) Girija Vyas, Minister of Housing & Urban
Poverty Alleviation in a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
Giving details , Dr Vyas
said that the
Scheme has provision to cover all slums within a city, whether notified or
non-notified (including identified and recognized), whether on lands belonging
to Central Government or its Undertakings, Autonomous bodies created under the
Act of Parliament, State Government or its Undertakings, Urban Local Bodies or
any other public agency and private sector. The selection of cities/UAs under
the scheme is to be made by the States in consultation with the Centre. Under
the scheme, Central government provides assistance of 50% of the project cost
for Cities/ UAs with Population more than 5 lakhs, 75% for Cities/ UAs having
population less than 5 lakhs. For North-Eastern Region and special category
States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand) central share
will be 80%. There is an upper ceiling of ` 5 lakh per Dwelling Unit (DU) for
cities with population more than 5 lakhs. This ceiling is ` 4 lakhs per DU
for smaller cities with population less than 5 lakhs. In North East (NE) and
special category States, upper ceiling is ` 5 lakh per DU irrespective of population
of the city. Upper ceilings, as above, also include cost of civic
infrastructure and social amenities, the Minister added.
The Minister said that the Major
objectives of RAY are as under:
i.
Improving
and provisioning of housing, basic civic infrastructure and social amenities in
intervened slums.
ii.
Enabling
reforms to address some of the causes leading to creation of slums.
iii.
Facilitating
a supportive environment for expanding institutional credit linkages for the
urban poor.
iv.
Institutionalizing
mechanisms for prevention of slums including creation of affordable housing
stock.
v.
Strengthening
institutional and human resource capacities at the Municipal, City and State
levels through comprehensive capacity building and strengthening of resource
networks.
vi.
Empowering
community by ensuring their participation at every stage of decision making
through strengthening and nurturing Slum Dwellers’ Association/Federations.
RM/