URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

Unit- 5
C-613
 URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
• Urban development programmes with a focus on reduction and alleviation of
poverty, has been one of the objectives of five-year plans in the country since
the beginning of the planned era. This was, however, brought into the core of
planning exercise only during the Fifth Year Plan.
• The consumption levels of different commodities were projected in this plan by
taking higher growth rates for people in lower consumption brackets. Extensive
research has since then been carried out to study the dimensions of poverty,
its temporal trend, spatial pattern etc.
• This led to identification of theoretical solutions for reduction of poverty and
launching of programmes during the past Five Year Plans.
• An analysis of the government policies and programmes and investment
pattern during the fifties, sixties and seventies reveals a distinct bias for urban
areas. Public sector investment in infrastructure and basic services improved
the level of services in urban centers, which accentuated the rural urban
disparity.
• These investments were concentrated mostly in the large cities that attracted
private investments as well as subsidized institutional funds. This resulted in
creation of employment opportunities at a higher level of productivity earnings
than in rural areas, widening the gap between their income levels.
• This period also witnessed the creation of a number of Boards and Corporations
at the state level and development authorities at the city level. Considerable
funds were routed through these agencies that improved the level of services
for at least a section of the urban population.
• Removal of poverty received attention initially in the Fifth Five Year Plan. The
earlier plans did not emphasize on proper analysis of the dimension of poverty.
The Fifth Plan noted that the consumption levels of the bottom 30 per cent of
the country’s population remained below the minimum of Rs.40.6 per capita per
month at 1972-73 prices.
• No distinction was, however, made between rural and urban poverty. The plan
stressed poverty could be removed by promoting economic growth and through
proper implementation of the national level programmes like Minimum Needs
Programme.
• The Sixth Plan addressed the problem of poverty in a more focused manner and
recognized that economic growth process by itself was not enough to tackle
poverty. It noted that about 51 per cent of the rural population and 41 per cent
of the urban population were living below the poverty line in 1979-80.
• The programmes are:
1. Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns (IDSMT): The programme was
launched in 1979-80 basically for developing small and medium towns partly by
providing basic services to poor and also by improving their economic conditions so
that the growth of metro cities could be arrested. Initially, the scope of the programme
was restricted to towns with population below one hundred thousand as per the 1971
Census. It had been decided in the Eighth Plan to include cities having population of
five hundred thousand as per the Census of 1991.
2. Low Cost Sanitation Programme (LCS): The goal of providing sanitation facilities to
eighty per cent of urban population was fixed in the early eighties with the
announcement of the UN Decadal Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.
Accordingly, a centrally sponsored scheme was launched in 1980-81, with the objective
of eliminating manual scavenging through conversion of dry latrines. It covered all the
households, which have dry latrines and those having no latrines including slum and
squatter settlements. Under this scheme, loan and Central subsidy were both
channeled through HUDCO.
3. Shelter and Sanitation for Pavement Dwellers (SSPD): This programme was
launched in large urban areas including metropolitan cities, having sizable shelter
less population. The Tenth Plan has pointed out that the provision of subsidy under
the scheme has to be adequate to make it feasible for the NGOs to take up shelter
construction. The grants per bed should also be revised to achieve the objective of
providing a sufficient number of nights – shelters for the homeless women and
children. The Pay and Use component of this scheme is being merged with the
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan of VAMBAY.
4. Accelerated Urban Water Supply Programme (AUWSP): This is another centrally
sponsored scheme launched during the Eighth Plan for providing water to the
towns having less than 20,000 population as per the Census of 1991, operationally
under the State PHED to be funded by the Central Government, State Government
and concerned ULBs on 50:45:5 ratio. The Centre met the entire cost in Union
Territories.
5. National Slum Development Programme (NSDP): The NSDP initiated in 1996 as a
scheme of Special Central Assistance for slum improvement, has been providing
additional central assistance to state governments to provide water supply and
sanitation among other facilities to the slums.
6. VAMBAY (Valmiki-Ambedkar Awas Yojona): This scheme has been launched in
2001-02 to provide shelter or upgrade the existing shelter of the people living
below poverty line in urban slums implemented in partnership with state
governments who will set up the implementation machinery, arrange for land
where required and for the credit component for housing. The state funds under
the scheme will be in proportion to their slum population.
7. Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY): In order to alleviate the conditions of urban poor, a
Centrally Sponsored Programme - Nehru Rozgar Yojana - was launched at the end of
the Seventh Five Year Plan (October 1989) with the objective of providing
employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed poor. The Central
Government indicated its overall contribution while the essential task of identifying,
earmarking and coordinating the relevant sectoral inputs was undertaken by the
 State Governments. The NRY consisted of three schemes namely (i) the Scheme of
Urban Micro Enterprises (SUME); (ii) the Scheme of Urban Wage Employment
(SUWE); and (iii) the Scheme of Housing and Shelter Upgradation (SHASU). During
the Eighth Plan, 92% of the available funds were utilized but for the shortfall in the
number of dwelling units upgraded/ in progress under SHASU, the targets have been
achieved under all the other schemes.
8. Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP): The UBSP Programme was implemented
as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme during the Eighth Five Year Plan with the specific
objectives of effective achievement of the social sector goals; community
organization, mobilization and empowerment; and convergence through
sustainable support system. The expenditure on the Programme was being shared
on a 60:40 basis between the Central and the State Governments and UTs (with
legislatures). Further, the per capita expenditure on any slum pocket is Rs.75/- in
the first year and Rs.50/- from the second year onwards after the basic
infrastructure is developed.
9. Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme (PM IUPEP):
Recognizing the seriousness and complexity of urban poverty problems, especially
in the small towns, the PMI UPEP was launched in November, 1995 applicable to all
Class II urban agglomerations with a population ranging between 50,000 and one
lakh subject to the condition that elections to local bodies have been held.
10. The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY): The Nehru Rojgar Yojna (NRY)
and Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme (PMI UPEP)
were two important direct poverty alleviation programmes in urban areas. Although
their thrust was on employment and income generation for urban poor, these had
components for provision of basic services as well. PMI UPEP was launched in the
year 1995-96 with the objectives of employment generation, shelter upgradation,
social development and community empowerment. It may, however, be noted that
during 1997, the three programmes of UBSP, NRY and PMIUPEP have been merged
into a single employment generation programme called Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rojgar Yojona (SJSRY).
 SLUM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
• The word “slum” is often used to describe informal settlement within cities that
have inadequate housing and miserable living conditions.
• The Concept of ‘Slum’ is given by R. E. Dickinson – Slum as an area of extreme
condition of blight, in which housing is unfit for health and moral of the
community.
• In other words, “A slum is an area of poor housing, often characterised by multi
occupancy and overcrowding”. Slums are often overcrowded, with many people
crammed into very small living spaces.
• Slums are not a new phenomenon. They have been a part of the history of almost
all cities, particularly during the age of urbanisation and industrialisation.
• Slums are the generally the only type of settlement affordable and accessible to
the poor living in the cities where competition for land and profits is intense. The
main reason for slum proliferation is rapid and non intensive pattern of
urbanisation catalyzed by increasing rural migration to urban areas, and choices of
better of employment, education or living facilities.
• Slums form and grow in different parts of the world for many different reasons.
Causes include rapid rural-to-urban migration, economic stagnation and
depression, high unemployment, poverty, informal economy, forced or
manipulated ghettoization, poor planning, politics, natural disasters, and social
conflicts.
• At the initial stage the five year plan did not incorporate any provision for slum
development; nor did they make any allocation for the purpose. Accordingly the First
and Second five year plan did not pay any attention for slum infrastructural
improvement in the towns and cities. It was the Third Five Year Plan (1961 – 66),
which for the first time paid a focus on this hitherto neglected area. A series of
specific functional programmes on water supply and sewerage, slum housing and
related functions were being sedulously pursued. The Third Plan had rightly placed
emphasis on strengthening of multi-purpose municipal government to lend
institutional support to the concept of comprehensive and integrative planning.
• During the Third Five Year Plan (1961 - 66), nearly 400 master plans were prepared in
order to bring about urban community development in selected cities on an
experimental basis to resolve social and human problems associated with urban
slums. This marked a major departure from the earlier approach of slum clearance or
slum improvement. The Third plan provided for a programme of about Rs. 29 crores
for slum clearance and improvement.
• The Fourth Five Year Plan indicted a closer look at the problem and observed that
slum clearance led to the creation of new slums and deterioration of conditions in
some of the older slums. In cities where the slum population is large, this approach
would not be effective and it would be necessary to try to ameliorate the living
conditions of slum dwellers as an immediate measure. The Plan suggested greater
emphasis on limiting the rise in the prices of land for reconditioning of slums.
• In the Draft Fifth Plan (1974 – 79) a total outlay of Rs. 578 Crore was proposed for
the urban development sector. The existing scheme of environmental improvement
in slum areas was supposed to be continued as a part of the Minimum Need
Programme . During this plan period the major emphasis was given on slum
improvement. It was estimated that about five million slum dwellers were benefited
by the scheme in the earlier plans.
• In the Sixth Plan (1980-85) the major emphasis was given on the issues like
improvement of environment of slums. It was considered that a particular area
becomes a slum more because of poor environmental conditions, poor drainage
sewerage and sanitation, rather than the poor state of structures.
• During the Seventh Plan (1985 – 90) the Environmental Improvement of Slums (EIS)
programme was planned to be continued with greater vigor and steps to provide
security of tenure to the slum dwellers were initiated so that they could develop a
stake in maintaining and improving their habitat. Of the total urban population,
nearly one fifth was estimated as the slum population.
• In the Eight Plan (1992 – 97) the scope of Environmental Improvement of Urban
Slum (EIUS) was widened. The Urban basic services scheme (UBSS)12 was initiated as
a pilot scheme in 1986, with the involvement of UNICEF and state governments, but
was executed properly during this plan period. The programme aimed at child
survival and development, making provision for learning opportunities for women
and child and community organization for slum population. The services included
environmental sanitation, primary health care, pre-school learning, vocational
 training and convergence of other social services at the slum level. The scheme was to
operate on the principle of convergence of programmes aimed at the urban poor and
limited to those slums covered by EIUS.
• Environmental Improvement of Urban Slum (EIUS) was a high priority programme in the
Ninth Plan (1997 – 2002) which included providing seven basic amenities for slum
households, namely, water supply, storm water drains, community baths and latrines,
widening and paving of existing pathways and street lighting and other community
facilities. The project components included provisions of social, economic and educational
inputs to contribute towards raising the standard of living of inhabitants in slum
settlements.
• During the Tenth Plan (2002 – 07) the focus was on upgrading the services and on
convergence for achieving the targets of the earlier plans particularly in the fields like
water supply, drainage, solid waste management as well as for healthcare, family welfare,
education by creating anganwadis and crèches for bringing about improvement to the
urban slums14. During this plan period, the scope of SJSRY was expanded by including the
scheme of contributory social security assistance such as insurance against death of the
bread earner, sickness, and disability and old age benefits to members of the community in
the urban slum areas.
• The National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) initiated in the year 1997 as a scheme
of special central assistance has been providing additional central assistance to state
government for slum improvement. During the Tenth Plan, NSDP funds were supposed to
be released for specific projects. The programme of construction of night shelters for those
without homes in urban areas required rejuvenation. Establishment of special night
shelters for shelter less women and children was the focal area for the tenth plan.
• Afterwards, ninth and tenth five year plan being the multi-purpose plan also paid
attention to water supply drainage, solid waste management as well as healthcare,
family welfare, education, and urban poverty alleviation. It is considered that out lays
on water supply and sanitation should, in particular, focus on the needs of the urban
slum people.
• The 11th Five Year Plan (2007 – 12) proposed for dismantling public sector monopoly
over urban slum infrastructure and creating conducive atmosphere for the private
sector to invest for bringing about development. 16 Now the local authorities, ULBs
are given the proper authority for the formulation and implementation of slum area
improvement.
• Various programmes implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation are one way or other for the benefit of urban poor particularly the
slum dwellers. Some of the Major Programmes of this Ministry are:
1. Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
2. Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHIP)
3. Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban poor (ISHUP)
4. Urban Statistics for HR and Assessments (USHA)
5. Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme (ILCS)
6. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission: Basic Services to the Urban Poor
(BSUP) & Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme(IHSDP)
7. Projects / Schemes for Development of North Eastern States, including Sikkim
 URBAN BASIC SERVICES
• Urban Basic Services Programme was launched during the seventh five year plan
period with the support of the UNICEF, and Central and State Governments, gains
importance. Urban Basic Services Programme was launched in 1985 to cover over
200 towns. By the end of 1989, it was under implementation in about 168
towns.23 The broad objectives of the programme are similar in all the states.
There are, however, variations in implementation of the programme from state to
state.
• Basic aim of the UBS programme is to upgrade the quality of the life of the urban
poor, especially the most vulnerable sections like women, children and other
economically weaker sections.
• The programme envisages development of urban slums by making provision of
basic services like water, health and sanitation, education, environmental
upgradation, etc. Its guiding principles are community initiative and participation,
convergence, cost effectiveness and continuity.
• The strategy is to bring awareness and to promote collective action. It envisages
organising the community and encourage community management. In tune with
its nomenclature, the programme, aims at providing the basic amenities and
services to the identified slum communities.
• The activities include provision of water, health care, education, nutrition,
economic activities, environmental sanitation, recreation, and shelter.
• Each slum community based on local needs and resources prepares a mini-plan and
implements it after approval by appropriate bodies. By integrating the mini-plans of
all the slums Town Action Plan is formulated.
• The UBS programme is aimed at uitlising the human resource potential.
Participation, therefore, is emphasised in the programme. An important feature of
the programme is, instead of seeking people's participation in government
sponsored programmes, government departments and agencies participate in
people's programmes.
• As such the community organisers, project officers and other programme staff act as
motivators and catalysts in people's programme than officers implementing the
government programmes.
• Central to the UBS programme is the Neighbourhood Committee (NHC), constituted
for every 200 families.25 The committee as a whole identifies the needs of the
community, prioritises them keeping in view the resources, prepare an action plan
and after their approval by the town management committee, implements it.
• The decision-making is thus, based on collective wisdom of the community. The NHC
assumes leadership as well as responsibility on a self-help basis for the well being of
the community.
• Each member of the committee apart from taking responsibility for all aspects of the
twenty families whom she/he represents, would also look after an important activity
like health, education, and try to articulate the problems of the community and
ensure the proper implementation of action plans.
• The programme thus aims at community participation and self- management as
well as building the capacity of slum communities to organise themselves to
implement development programmes.
• The administrative organisation at state, district and town levels varies from
state to state. At these levels, there are committees for coordinating and
monitoring the programme regularly.
• There are, however, wide variations in the nature, composition as well as
working of these committees. Andhra Pradesh and Orissa are the two important
states which have given considerable importance for the implementation of the
UBS Programme from the beginning.
• Sixteen towns of Andhra Pradesh and 24 towns of Orissa, where the programme
is being implemented, constitute roughly 25 per cent of the towns In the
country. Though in other states, equal or more number of towns were selected,
the programme could not be implemented in all the towns for different reasons.