"We will develop a model legal framework for consideration by states and Union Territories for according property rights to slum dwellers," said Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja said while announcing 100-day plan of action for the ministry.
There are about 81 million urban poor or slum dwellers in the country as per the 2004-05 census. Spelling out her action plan she said, "The ministry will formulate 'Rajiv Awas Yojana' for slum dwellers and the urban poor in an effort to promote a slum-free India in five years."
Clarifying that the property rights means access to housing by the slum dwellers, she said the scheme will focus on according rights to those living in slums and states would provide basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, internal and approach roads, street lighting and social infrastructure facilities.
Now, we are proposing that master plans have to include reservation of land to build houses for the poor and also for their economic activities like street vending, she said.
Once the slum dwellers get the ownership right through legal process, they can leverage it for their further betterment, she said.
As per the plan, the property rights model will draw best practices both within and outside the country and be circulated to states to enable them to establish their own legal regulatory frameworks suiting local conditions.
The model legal framework for property rights proposes to include reservation of land for housing and informal sector activities by the urban poor in city and zonal plans.
"It will cover the provision of security of tenure to the urban poor and also making land available for affordable housing, basic amenities and informal sector activities of the poor through the process of urban planning," she said.
Admitting the past policy as faulty which could not cater to the needs of poor people in urban areas, Selja said it resulted in the mushrooming of slums in cities.
Master plans have led to exclusion of the poor from the city development process and driven them to precarious and illegal settlements, she said.
