MP chalks out Rs 10,000-cr scheme for slum dwellers in 6 cities

Slum dwellers in central Indian cities, including Indore, Bhopal and Gwalior, will soon get rights on the properties and even comfortable accommodations as the Madhya Pradesh government has given its nod to a pertinent centrally sponsored scheme.

A total of 1.3 million population will be benefit out of this programme based on a public-private partnership model and aimed at providing basic amenities to people in slums that dot both notified and non-notified areas. The state will dove-tail into the Rajiv Awas Yojana two schemes: one scheme for affordable housing and the other on interest subsidy for urban housing, official sources said today.

Multi-storeyed buildings will thus dot the skies of Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Sagar, Gwalior and Jabalpur as state government yesterday decided to chip in Rs 1,000 crore to this scheme meant to erase slums out of its cities.

A total of Rs 10,000 crore, according to state urban administration minister Babulal Gaur, has been earmarked for the six cities to which the state would share Rs 5,000 crore as per the plan.

Initially, a Rs 2,000-crore project would take shape soon in Indore to create multi-storey apartments for slum-dwellers. “To make the six cities slum-free. we will soon invest Rs 1,000 crore to a project that will take shape soon in Indore,” said Gaur. The slum-dwellers will have to contribute at least 10 per cent of the total cost of the house.

He said the Bhopal plan would be ready by next month, while the Ujjain city plan is underway. “There are nearly 1,200 slums in four towns like Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Sagar. The total outlay for all the six cities is Rs 10,000 crore under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. To this, the state will contribute Rs 5,000 crore in phased manner. We will be the first state to implement the project,” said Gaur.

The Rajiv Awas Yojana, which was unveiled yesterday, would extend support under the JNNURM to states that are willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas. “Each slum dweller will have a right on property he or she is living at present,” Gaur said.

Even so, this would create trouble for the government as most of the slum areas in the capital Bhopal are in close proximity of important areas like the State assembly, military area and major industries like BHEL.