City Corporation draws up action plan to free capital of poverty

from The Hindu

Envisages housing, sanitation and health care for all

Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation has drawn up a vision plan and road map to convert the State capital into a poverty-free city by 2031. To be taken up in a mission mode, the plan proposes to improve basic services and infrastructure and ensure sustainable livelihood options for the poor.

The major objectives of the project include housing for all poor families, total sanitation, safe drinking water, 100 per cent literacy, universal access to health care, land tenure security and relocation of slums situated in hazardous or vulnerable areas. The vision plan focusses on community-mobilisation and capacity-building to develop a participatory planning process.

According to the City Development Plan (CDP) prepared by the Corporation, about one-fourth of the city population is living in slums or slum-like conditions. The vision plan proposes the creation of a database covering all aspects of slums, informal settlement areas and socio-economic conditions of the urban poor. The database will be regularly updated. Effective solid-waste management and proper drainage and sewerage system form part of the road map.

The project proposes a phased programme to transfer land ownership rights to households in slums and informal settlements where further development is possible. The Corporation will move the Revenue Department to develop the required policy framework for land tenure for the poor.

A network of remedial education centres has been proposed to improve the standard of education of students from BPL families. Children's neighbourhood groups (Balasabhas) will be set up to prevent inter-generational transmission of poverty. To enable children to participate in the development agenda of the city, a children's forum, called Bala Nagarasabha (Children's Corporation), is planned.

The road map proposes self-employment opportunities for families in coastal areas by promoting sustainable, innovative enterprise development programmes suiting the skills of the poor and local area requirements.

The CDP points out that 30 per cent of the urban poor in the city are living in coastal areas which lack basic infrastructure and services. Poverty, overcrowding and lack of motivation for studies make these people, especially the youth, easy targets for anti-social elements.

A package of social security measures has been proposed to address the problems of this vulnerable section.

A special self-employment scheme is to be worked out for the youth to bring them into the mainstream of development.

Another major component of the vision document is a habitat-based geriatric care system to deal with the problems of the aged. A planned rehabilitation programme for street children and special packages for rehabilitation of vulnerable sections such as women in distress, mentally and physically challenged and the destitute will be worked out.

The vision plan envisages a Convergent Community Action (CCA) to integrate the poverty reduction programmes initiated by various agencies. A dedicated team of project management professionals, who can work with non-governmental organisations, will be set up.

The document also recommends an all-inclusive development plan for the poor and the vulnerable, which will reduce disparity by bringing them into the mainstream of society.

The vision plan is to be submitted to the Union Government for financial assistance under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.