The Hindu : Kerala News : Housing scheme for urban poor on the anvil

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Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Housing scheme for urban poor on the anvil

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, APRIL 4. The Union Government will introduce a national mission on basic services to provide housing and basic infrastructure facilities for the urban poor in slums, Kumari Shelja, Union Minister of State for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, has said.

Speaking at the valedictory of the World Mayors' Conference here today, the Minister said the issues of sanitation, water supply and other basic infrastructure facilities for slum dwellers would be addressed through the programme.

A national urban renewal mission programme would also be implemented.

Ms. Shelja said cities should implement measures to manage solid waste through a policy of reducing waste generation, segregation of waste at source and recycling and re-use.

`Be city-specific'

In his address, the Governor, R.L. Bhatia, said Mayors and heads of local self-governments should focus on city-specific realities and create partnerships for development through city-to-city programmes.

Civic bodies should also evolve programmes for effective decentralisation and attain more administrative and financial autonomy through better strategies of international collaboration.

Kochi Declaration

The Kochi Declaration adopted at the conference resolved to strive for poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability in all city activities and education, reduction of child and maternal mortality and control of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

The conference also decided to allocate resources for the implementation of city targets focussing on slums and other vulnerable groups.

Promotion of partnerships in all city initiatives and harnessing of information and communication technology to improve service delivery and providing all citizens good urban governance also formed part of the declaration.

The Education Minister, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, read out the declaration. The Speaker, Therambil Ramakrishnan, was the chief guest. C.M. Dinesh Mani, Kochi Mayor, welcomed the gathering.

Ranjit S. Chavan, Director-General of the All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), Jatin V. Modi, president AIILS, and P.P. Balan, Director, Kerala Institute for Local Self Government, attended.

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