Poor Deprived of benefits of "Project for Poor"

About 210 families living on the banks of Gomti river near Daliganj bridge on the Mankameshwar temple side are facing eviction again. On 11th December, 2008 three buldozers of Nagar Nigam demolished whatever skeletal structure they have in the name of covering their head. The district level officials like DM and SSP told us they were Bangladeshis. We conducted a survey and showed that out of about 210 families 200 were from different districts of UP. (The detailed survey and copies of their ration cards are available with us).

We requested the DM to provide them houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme. The ADM Om Pathak agrees that these families belong to the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category but since they have APL (Above Poverty Line) cards they are likely to be disqualified for this scheme. The authorities agreed to provide them houses under the Central government scheme Basic Services for the Urban Poor under which the poor have to bear 10% of the cost. These families have also started collecting Rs. 20 per day to save the Rs. 16,000 that they'll be required to pay for this purpose.

But today the bulldozers of Nagar Nigam have arrived at the Basti once again. These families are likely to be evicted. The only question that we want to ask is where are the Kanshiram Houses to be constructed under 'Manyavar Kanshi Ram Shehari Awas Yojana' for the poor and who are they meant for if not the real poor?

It may be recalled that 'Manyavar Kanshi Ram Shehri Awas Yojana' the scheme was launched by Ms. Mayawati, Chief Minister of Ttar Pradesh, which envisages building one lakh (1,00,000) houses every year for economically weaker sections of the society over the next five years

S.R. Darapuri, +91 9415164845
Sandeep Pandey, +91 0522 2347365
Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements

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