Question : Basic Amenities to Slum Dwellers

(a) whether the Government has been able to provide housing and basic civic amenities like sewerage, health, electricity, water etc. to slum dwellers of the urban areas through its Central schemes, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the remedial steps taken by the Government in this regard;

(b) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of Central schemes implemented for slum dwellers and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has not been able to provide funds for improving and providing basic amenities in the slums during each of the last three years and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;

(d) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether the Government proposes to take any concrete steps to provide basic amenities such as health care to the people living in slums in the urban areas other than metro cities and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

(SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)


(a) : Yes, Sir. Land and Colonisation are State subjects. Therefore, providing housing and basic civic amenities like sewerage, health, electricity, water etc. in urban areas including for slum dwellers is the responsibility of the State/Union Territory (UT) Governments.

However, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs supplements the efforts of States/UTs to provide housing and basic civic amenities like sewerage and water through its Missions, such as - Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban (SBM-U) for all eligible urban citizens including slum dwellers.

Under PMAY-U, Central Assistance is provided to States/UTs for construction of houses for all eligible families/beneficiaries in urban areas including slum dwellers.

Under AMRUT Scheme, State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) amounting to ?77,640 crore including committed Central Assistance of ?35,990 crore have been approved for projects in all States/UTs for the entire Mission Period. So far, Central Assistance amounting to ?30,295 crore have been released to States/UTs for AMRUT projects for water supply, sewerage & septage management, storm water drainage, green spaces & parks and non-motorized urban transport.

Recently, AMRUT 2.0 and SBM 2.0 have been launched to make cities garbage free and water secure during the mission period.

Ministry of Power through SAUBHAGYA- Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana provides electricity connection to all un-electrified households in urban areas including slums.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under National Health Mission provides financial and technical support to States/UTs to strengthen the health care systems to provide affordable healthcare to all the citizens including slum areas. Further, under Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) health coverage up to ?5 lakh per family per year is provided to all eligible households including slum dwellers.

(b) : Yes, Sir. NITI Aayog has conducted a third-party assessment of all urban Central Sector Schemes (CSS) impacting urban citizens.

(c) & (d): No, Sir. Government of India supplements the efforts of State/ UT Governments by providing Central Assistance through its various Missions/ Schemes such as PMAY-U, AMRUT, SBM etc.

(e) Public Health and Hospitals being State subjects, the primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcare system including provision of healthcare facilities in all urban areas including slums lies with the respective State/UT Governments. However, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is supplementing efforts of State/UT Governments through National Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to strengthen the health care systems to provide affordable healthcare to all the citizens including slum areas.

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