Government Schemes For The Upliftment Of Urban Poor
According to the 2011 census, 377 million people in India reside in Urban areas. This number is expected to be 600 million by 2030. In the last decade, there has been a massive increase in the number of people migrating from rural to urban areas. The main reason for this rise is the tremendous opportunities that cities offer. People move from rural to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities and a decent lifestyle. But sadly, cities have been harsher to these people, and they are in a worse position than they were in the rural areas. The government has taken various initiatives for the alleviation of urban poverty in India. Here is a list of all the programs launched by the government.
1. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation The mission was relaunched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2015. The aim of the programme is to● Ensure every household has access to a tap and clean drinking water and a proper sewage connection. ● Increase amenity value of the cities by developing greenery and maintaining the open spaces. ● Reducing pollution by adopting eco-friendly measures. .
2. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (National Urban Livelihoods Mission) The mission aims at reducing urban poverty in India by reducing the plight of the urban poor in India by ● Providing self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities to urban poor ● Providing shelter to urban homeless ● Addressing the livelihood concerns of the urban street vendors by equipping them with necessary skills and opportunities.
3. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for All - Urban) Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, the program envisions a provision for housing for all by 2022. The program seeks to solve the housing problem of the urban poor by doing the following● Slum rehabilitation of slum dwellers ● Providing credit link subsidies to promote affordable housing for urban poor ● Provide affordable housing in partnership with public and private sectors ● Subsidy for beneficiary led individual house construction
4. Self Employment Programme of urban poor The programme is the component of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) that aims at providing financial assistance to the urban poor to become self-reliant and gain self-employment according to their skills. Since Independence, the government has taken major steps and introduced various schemes for the upliftment of the poor. The main focus of the government has always been on the rural poor. Now that poverty is becoming urbanized, more steps need to be taken for the upliftment of the poor in the urban areas. The schemes mentioned above are some initiatives taken by the government for the urban poor. These initiatives have been successful in bringing some change but a lot more needs to be done if we want to eradicate urban poverty from its roots. Following are a few things that the government can do to alleviate poverty from urban India-
1. Improvement in Rural Infrastructure- The major cause of urban poverty is the migration of people from rural to urban areas in search of better opportunities. More investment in rural infrastructure will stop these people from migrating to cities. The government has taken various measures to promote small and medium scale industries in rural areas but more investment is required in the agriculture and service sector to create more job opportunities that pay well and ease the pressure on urban infrastructure services.
2. Employment Opportunities- More income generation opportunities need to be provided to people living in urban dwellings. They can be given skill development training to make them more suitable for decent and better job opportunities. 3. Increase in Investment- To ensure a better future for the urban poor, the government needs to make more investments in the urban poor. Better access to education, healthcare facilities, and skill training will help in alleviating urban poverty. Providing urban poor with some kind of loans and resources can also help in uplifting them from poverty.
4. Rehabilitation of slums- People in slums live in horrible conditions. These slums need rehabilitation and up-gradation in order to improve their standards of living. Rehabilitation of slums will ensure better living conditions for these people. They will be given access to clean drinking water, electricity, and better jobs.
Non- profit organizations also have a major role to play in this. There are thousands of organizations working all across the country for the welfare of the urban poor. With the collective efforts of the government and NGOs, the conditions of the urban poor can be improved.
Apnalaya is a Mumbai-based NGO that has been working since 1972 to empower the poor people in India. Over the last four decades, they have made significant changes in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. They work with the urban poor and ensure that they have access to basic services and empower them to help themselves. The NGO has introduced various programmes for improving the conditions of economically backward people in urban areas. With the support of its donors, the NGO has made significant changes in the lives of thousands of people.