The Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that in pursuance of the Government’s vision of creating a Slum-free India, ‘Rajiv Awas Yojana’ (RAY) has been approved on 02.06.2011 and guidelines of the Scheme have been issued thereafter. The Phase I of Rajiv Awas Yojana is for a period of two years from the date of approval of the scheme. Phase II will cover the remaining period of the 12th Plan (2013-17). The Scheme will provide financial assistance to States that are willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers. This assistance is for provision of decent shelter and basic civic and social services for slum redevelopment, and for creation of affordable housing stock. Fifty percent (50 %) of the cost of provision of basic civic and social infrastructure and amenities and of housing, including rental housing, and transit housing for in-situ redevelopment – in slums would be borne by the Centre, including operation & maintenance of assets created under this scheme. For the North Eastern and Special Category States the share of the Centre would be 90% including the cost of land acquisition, if required.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Kumari Selja said, RAY advocates a ‘whole-city, all slums, whole slum’ approach to ensure that all categories of weaker sections including SC/ST, minorities and physically handicapped living in slums are covered. Further, the guidelines of the scheme stipulate that precedence is given by States to slums with larger population of the deprived sections i.e. the SC/ST and minorities while implementing the slum upgradation project.