SITES AND SERVICES SCHEME

S U B M I T T E D B Y: A S H LY A U G U S T I N E
 INTRODUCTION
Site and Services Schemes are those which provide plots of land, either ownership or land lease tenure along with a bare
minimum of essential infrastructure needed for habitation. The realization that providing serviced houses by government
agencies is not possible and the low income families cannot afford the cost leads the creation of Site and Service
Scheme. [A plot of land (site) and essential infrastructure (services)]. In site and service schemes, the authorities
prepare the site and other infrastructure facilities to the residents. Then the residents become responsible for
construction of houses.
In India, site and services scheme was first introduced in Calcutta in 1973. Between 1973 and 1997, world bank financed
11 more projects in India in 27 various cities.
The reason for introduction of Site and Service scheme:
• The majority of people moving to urban areas lacked in the necessary financial holds for housing
• The designated government agencies have not provided sufficient housing units that is affordable for poor majority in
urban areas.
The basic principle of this scheme is the development of squatter settlement but without squatting aspect. That is,
improving the environmental quality of squatter settlements with basic necessary infrastructure.
TYPOLOGIES IN SITE AND SERVICES SCHEME
Depending on the investment made, the resources available and the implementation of beneficiaries, site
and services can be activated in many ways. They range from empty plot of land with some services(water,
electricity & sanitation) to the provision of core house(kitchen & toilet) on the plot.
UTILITY WALL: A utility wall is built on the plot which contains connection for water, drainage, sewerage
and electricity. The beneficiary has to built the house around this wall.
LATERINE: Due to critical waste disposal, many provide a basic latrine in each plot.
ROOF FRAME/SHELL HOUSE/ CORE HOUSE: The roof is the costlier component in housing. Some projects
provide the roof structure on posts ;so that the beneficiaries have to built walls according to their needs.
Some may built Shell houses (and incomplete house consist of roof and two side walls but without front
and rear walls) and Core house (one complete room).
Along with these, some agencies provide the plinth that form the base so the beneficiaries can built the
rest.
 ACTORS IN SITE AND SERVICE SCHEMES
Actors involved:
1. Intended beneficiaries – This belong to lower income group of urban area like the ones who are
relocated from illegal settlement. These people may have low incomes, informal sector jobs, irregular
employment and lack in necessary assets for affording a house.
2. Implementing agencies – In most cases, government departments or similar body like Housing Boards
are the implementation agencies. Operating goals and objectives to the implementation all will be
done by them.
3. Along with these two major ones, agencies involving provision of infrastructure, non-government
organisation, construction workers may also include in this.
 DRAWBACKS OF THE SCHEME
• LOCATION: Due to high land costs in urban areas, most of • STANDARDS: High standards of construction and building
the site and services location are on the fringes(edges or qualities set by implementation agencies create
borders) where the cost is less. unaffordability. They ban or regulate income generating
activities like room rentals etc. which limit the additional
But this leads to two main problems: 1) large distance earing of the beneficiaries.
creates delivery network issues and delay in
infrastructure and construction. 2) this extra distance • COST RECOVERY: Cost the beneficiaries have to bear is
decreases the beneficiaries interest in taking advantage of high. They have to pay for the plot, as well as construction
the scheme. of the house. Transportation, water, electricity etc.
becomes a burden.
• BUREAUCRATIC PROCEDURES: selection processes,
eligibility criteria etc. leads to time consuming,
cumbersome and provide opportunities for corruption.
Also, many fall under low/irregular jobs sectors which
makes it impossible for them to meet the eligibility
criteria.
• DELAY IN PROVISION OF SERVICES: due to lack of
coordination between all the involved agencies, the
services may get delayed even though they get
sanctioned.
 FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE SCHEME
• It enables the low-income families to obtain decent housing and services, at levels that can be afforded by them.
• It helps in recognition of ability of people to house themselves with a little backing from government agencies. This
makes the government’s role from provider to enabler.
• While site and services schemes are not blanket solution for all ills of low income housing, it provide potential for
future housing and making best use of existing resources.
• It also enables them to save the scarce resources by sharing the responsibility with the intended housing
beneficiaries.