A slum free Ludhiana - Municipal Corporation seeks plan of action
Updated: Jun 07, 2013 05:01:40pm
Ludhiana, Jun 7 (KNN) The Municipal Corporation (MC) of Ludhiana has decided to prepare an action plan for a slum free city that will be free of squalor.
Ludhiana in Punjab which has a population of two million has nearly 250 slums with an estimated population of about three lakh. Of these, only half the slums come under the category "authorised" and therefore "identified and recognised" by the municipality.
The remaining slums are unauthorised and do not figure in either the municipal records or in the Registrar-General's survey operation. Hence, they are not entitled to even basic amenities such as potable water, sanitation, electricity and basic health services.
A slum free city plan of action is therefore an important instrument and the foundation for cities to attain the objective of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) that caters to slum dwellers and the urban poor. RAY envisages a ‘Slum-free India’ by encouraging states to tackle the problem of slums in a definitive manner.
It is hoped that the citywide plan of action would bring about the improvement of existing slums and strategies for prevention of future slums. It takes into consideration not only the present status and priorities of slum dwellers but also the resources and capabilities of the city in improving the quality of life of the urban poor and the capacity of the urban poor to be partners in the development process.
Ludhiana is one of the prime manufacturing and education centres in northern India, known for hosiery industry, dyes, bicycles and parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts. Trading in these materials is a source of employment and wealth generation in the city.
The city is also home to several educational institutions, agriculture and textile being two important sectors.
The city’s MC is keen to bring existing slums within the formal system so people living in them can avail of basic amenities.
Also, it aims at tackling the shortages of urban land and housing that keep shelter out-of-reach of the urban poor and force them to resort to extra-legal solutions in a bid to retain their sources of livelihood and employment.
The authority has invited bids from the technical consultants for preparing the Slum Free City Plan of Action.
“The Final Report should include GIS maps and socio economic surveys of slums, housing demand study and action plan…,” said Assistant Commissioner (Technical) of the authority in a notification.
The authority will even hold a pre-proposal conference, where the applicants will be free to seek clarifications and make suggestions for consideration of the authority.
The scope of work under the project will include environment building through organising consultative workshops and meetings with concerned stakeholders by consultant and NGOs to explain the objectives of RAY.
Furthermore, the consultancy should also prepare a profile of the city including physical characteristics of the city, demographic, socio-economic profile, housing profile, status of physical and social infrastructure, institutional framework etc.
The preparation of the slum profile has already been completed through empanelled NGOs.
The analysis and review of the collected information will be done and shared with stakeholders, the notification said.
The MC had been claiming to rid Ludhiana of over three lakh slum dwellers since a decade.
It has planned to put land up for sale after working out the modalities with the district administration and other government agencies. After the market rate of the land is assessed, slum dwellers would have only two options - buy the land at the market rates or pack up and leave.
Making it easy for the slum dwellers, they will be given options to buy it in small instalments spaced out over 20 years. The MC would then get busy with constructing roads, putting up street lights and making water connections on a priority basis.
Land which is part of road, green belt or comes under non-residential areas would not be put up for sale. (KNN)
Ludhiana in Punjab which has a population of two million has nearly 250 slums with an estimated population of about three lakh. Of these, only half the slums come under the category "authorised" and therefore "identified and recognised" by the municipality.
The remaining slums are unauthorised and do not figure in either the municipal records or in the Registrar-General's survey operation. Hence, they are not entitled to even basic amenities such as potable water, sanitation, electricity and basic health services.
A slum free city plan of action is therefore an important instrument and the foundation for cities to attain the objective of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) that caters to slum dwellers and the urban poor. RAY envisages a ‘Slum-free India’ by encouraging states to tackle the problem of slums in a definitive manner.
It is hoped that the citywide plan of action would bring about the improvement of existing slums and strategies for prevention of future slums. It takes into consideration not only the present status and priorities of slum dwellers but also the resources and capabilities of the city in improving the quality of life of the urban poor and the capacity of the urban poor to be partners in the development process.
Ludhiana is one of the prime manufacturing and education centres in northern India, known for hosiery industry, dyes, bicycles and parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts. Trading in these materials is a source of employment and wealth generation in the city.
The city is also home to several educational institutions, agriculture and textile being two important sectors.
The city’s MC is keen to bring existing slums within the formal system so people living in them can avail of basic amenities.
Also, it aims at tackling the shortages of urban land and housing that keep shelter out-of-reach of the urban poor and force them to resort to extra-legal solutions in a bid to retain their sources of livelihood and employment.
The authority has invited bids from the technical consultants for preparing the Slum Free City Plan of Action.
“The Final Report should include GIS maps and socio economic surveys of slums, housing demand study and action plan…,” said Assistant Commissioner (Technical) of the authority in a notification.
The authority will even hold a pre-proposal conference, where the applicants will be free to seek clarifications and make suggestions for consideration of the authority.
The scope of work under the project will include environment building through organising consultative workshops and meetings with concerned stakeholders by consultant and NGOs to explain the objectives of RAY.
Furthermore, the consultancy should also prepare a profile of the city including physical characteristics of the city, demographic, socio-economic profile, housing profile, status of physical and social infrastructure, institutional framework etc.
The preparation of the slum profile has already been completed through empanelled NGOs.
The analysis and review of the collected information will be done and shared with stakeholders, the notification said.
The MC had been claiming to rid Ludhiana of over three lakh slum dwellers since a decade.
It has planned to put land up for sale after working out the modalities with the district administration and other government agencies. After the market rate of the land is assessed, slum dwellers would have only two options - buy the land at the market rates or pack up and leave.
Making it easy for the slum dwellers, they will be given options to buy it in small instalments spaced out over 20 years. The MC would then get busy with constructing roads, putting up street lights and making water connections on a priority basis.
Land which is part of road, green belt or comes under non-residential areas would not be put up for sale. (KNN)
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