Election on mind, Centre launches slum programme

Since the housing sector has the potential to spark off all-round economic growth, he said the Government has adopted budgetary measures to improve investment in housing activities through fiscal incentives and regulatory reforms.

With the elections on mind, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister Bandaru Dattatreya announced the National Slum Development Programme in a big way. The Rs 460-crore Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana for providing eco-friendly habitat to the urban slum population is part of the programme. ‘‘The concept is have slumless cities through public-private sector partnership. We have taken the recommendation of the states and we’ll go to the Cabinet and Parliament with them,’’ Dattatreya said.

Another incentive schemes that Dattatreya spoke about was the Urban Reform Incentive Fund (URIF) for which the initial allocation is Rs 500 crore for 2002-03.