29-11-2012, 01:45 PM
Policies and Programmes
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National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007
Preamble
Shelter is a basic human need next only to food and clothing. At the end of the 10th Five Year Plan, the housing shortage is estimated to be 24.7 million. However, urban areas in our country are also characterized by severe shortage of basic services like potable water, well laid out drainage system, sewerage network, sanitation facilities, electricity, roads and appropriate solid waste disposal. It is these shortages that constitute the rationale for policy focus on housing and basic services in urban areas. This policy intends to promote sustainable development of habitat in the country with a view to ensuring equitable supply of land, shelter and services at affordable prices to all sections of society. Given the magnitude of the housing shortage and budgetary constraints of both the Central and State Governments, it is amply clear that Public Sector efforts will not suffice in fulfilling the housing demand. In view of this scenario, the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, 2007 focuses the spotlight on multiple stake-holders namely, the Private Sector, the Cooperative Sector, the Industrial Sector for labour housing and the Services/Institutional Sector for employee housing. In this manner, the Policy will seek to promote various types of public-private partnerships for realizing the goal of Affordable Housing For All.
Overview
In 1991, India adopted a more ‘inclusive’ view of economic development by emphasizing that it must integrate with the global economy. In pursuance of this, it reduced custom duties and welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in several sectors of the economy. The National Housing Policy, 1994 was a product of this economic point of view. The 1994 Policy in its section on “Goals” sought to increase supply of land serviced by basic minimum services with a view to promoting a healthy environment. The National Housing & Habitat Policy, 1998 laid greater emphasis on the aspect of “Habitat” as a supplementary focus to housing. The emphasis on “providing” housing continued in this Policy with emphasis on both quality and cost-effectiveness especially to vulnerable sections of society. The New Urban Housing and Habitat Policy seeks to enhance the spotlight on ‘habitat’ with a ‘Regional Planning approach’ as well as further deepen the role of Government as a ‘facilitator’ and ‘regulator.’ Moreover, the new Policy lays emphasis on earmarking of land for the EWS/LIG groups in new housing projects. The new Urban Housing & Habitat Policy lays emphasis on Government retaining its role in social housing so that affordable housing is made available to EWS and LIG of the population as they lack affordability and are hopelessly out priced in urban land markets.
The various policies adopted by the Central Government, from time to time, were accompanied by initiation of various programmes and schemes. The National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) had provision for adequate and satisfactory water supply, sanitation, housing, solid waste management, primary and non-formal education. The scheme provided additional central assistance to States to supplement the resources of the State Government for provision of basic infrastructure and services in slum areas. The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) was designed to provide gainful employment to the urban poor by encouraging setting up of self-employment ventures and provision of wage employment opportunities for families below poverty line in urban areas. The Two Million Housing Programme (TMHP) was launched with the objective of ‘housing for all’ with particular emphasis on the needs of economically weaker sections and low income group categories. The Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) aimed at providing subsidies for construction of housing and sanitation for urban slum dwellers living below poverty line in different towns/cities all over the country.
Focus Areas
The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, 2007 seeks to use the perspective of Regional Planning as brought out in the 74th Amendment Act in terms of preparation of District Plans by District Planning Committees (DPCs) and Metropolitan Plans by Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs) as a vital determinant of systematic urban planning. The policy seeks to promote a symbiotic development of rural and urban areas. In this regard, the policy seeks to ensure refinement of Town and Country Planning Acts (wherever required) and their effective implementation.
The core focus of this Policy is provision of with special emphasis on vulnerable sections of society such as Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Minorities and the urban poor.
This Policy takes note of the substantive gap between demand and supply both for housing and basic services. This Policy seeks to assist the poorest of poor who cannot afford to pay the entire price of a house by providing them access to reasonably good housing on rental and ownership basis with suitable subsidization. The Policy seeks to enhance the supply of houses especially for the disadvantaged, duly supplemented by basic services.
The Need for Policy National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007
This Policy aims to promote development of cost-effective, quality approved building materials and technologies with a view to bringing down the cost of EWS/LIG houses.
This Policy aims to complement poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes for achieving the overall objective of “or All” with sustainable development.
This Policy dwells upon the roles of various stakeholders and specific action required pertaining to Land, Finance, Legal and Regulatory Reforms as well as technology Support and Transfer.
This Policy seeks to accelerate the development of small and medium towns which can serve as generators of economic momentum with the objective of reducing the rate of migration to large cities.
The Policy lays special emphasis on the development of North-Eastern States on account of the fragile ecology of the North-Eastern Region as well as the need to accelerate the pace of its socio-economic progress. In this manner, the Policy seeks to improve accessibility to the North-Eastern Region.