(a) whether more than 25 per cent of the urban population live below poverty line in the country;
(b) if so, the details in this regard;
(c) the details of the various poverty alleviation programmes undertaken for improving condition of the urban poor;
(d) the details of the funds made available and utilised under these poverty alleviation programmes, State, Year and programme-wise for the last three years; and
(e) the other measures taken by the Government to reduce the urban poverty?
THE MINISTER OF HOUSING & URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION (KUMARI SELJA)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.
STATEMENT
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 388 FOR 20-8-2010 REGARDING
POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMMES.
(a)&(b): Planning Commission releases estimates of urban poor from time to time based on
the national sample survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). As per
the latest such estimates of NSSO (61st Round) for the year 2004-2005, based on the Uniform
Recall Period (URP) method, the estimated number of urban poor is 80.8 million which is 25.7%
of the urban population of the country.
(c): With a view to ameliorate the living conditions of the urban poor, the Ministry of
Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation is implementing an employment oriented Urban Poverty
Alleviation Centrally sponsored scheme named Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY), on
all India basis, with effect from 1.12.1997. The scheme strives to provide gainful employment
to the urban unemployed and under employed poor, through encouraging the setting up of self
employment ventures by the urban poor living below the poverty line, and also through
providing wage employment by utilizing their labour for construction of socially and
economically useful public assets. The scheme of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
has been comprehensively revamped with effect from 2009-2010. The revamped SJSRY has following
components:
(i). Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP) - targets individual urban poor for setting up
of micro-enterprises,
(ii). Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP) - targets urban poor women self-help groups for
setting up of group-enterprises and providing them assistance through a revolving fund for
thrift & credit activities.
(iii). Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP)- targets urban
poor for imparting quality training so as to enhance their employability for self-employment or better salaried employment.
(iv). Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP)- seeks to assist urban poor by utilizing their labour for the construction of socially and economically useful public assets, in towns having population less than 5 lakhs as per 1991 census, and.
(v). Urban Community Development Network (UCDN) - seeks to assist the urban poor in organizing themselves in self-managed community structures so as to gain collective strength to address the issues of poverty facing them and participate in the effective implementation of urban poverty alleviation programmes.
(d): Central funds released and expenditure reported under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY), during the last three years, year-wise and State-wise are given at Annexure
(e): In order to address the shelter and basic amenities requirements of the urban poor, especially the slum dwellers, the Sub-Mission of Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), catering to 65 identified Cities, and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), which applies to cities / towns other than the 65 identified cities, are being implemented since 3.12.2005. These programmes are aimed at providing basic amenities viz. affordable shelter, land tenure, water, sanitation, primary health, primary education and social security, to the slum dwellers and urban poor.