The Centre has decided to extend all out help to the State for proper implementation of programmes of drinking water supply to the villages, allotment of house sites with construction assistance upgradation of slums and extension of housing facilities for the economically weaker sections of the society, Ministry of works and Housing, in his address to the Ministerial Level Regional Review Conference relating to those three points of the 20 point programme.
Mr Ramesh Chandra said that supply of drinking water to problem villages needed concerted effort as the country had more than half a million rural settlements and during the current plan it was imperative to provide at least one source of portable water to nearly 2,21,000 problem villages. In this sphere, Mr Chandra said, some of the states had been doing “very well” while greater efforts were needed on the part of the other States.
Mr Chandra made pointed reference to the Central Sector Scheme of housing assistance for plantation works which, he said, had special significance for the North-Eastern Region. This scheme he said, has been in operation for quite some time but according to available indications the results had not been commensurate with expectations. The objective of providing centper cent housing accommodation for the plantation workers was still to be achieved he observed, and requested the concerned States to give full consideration to the implementation of this scheme.
Referring to the housing shortage in the urban areas, Mr Ramesh Chandra said the increase in population of slum and pavement dwellers were visible manifestation fo the acuteness of this problem. The Govt. he declared, was determined to provide shelter to these people. He disclosed that a decision had been taken to revise the existing norm of Rs. 150 to Rs. 250 per capita to be spent for the scheme for benefit of slum dwellers added.
The States and UTs which participated in the Review Conference were West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim. Mr Buta Singh, Union Minister of Works and Housing, Parliamentary Affairs and Sports, who had to preside over the Conference could not come since he had to make a dash to Quilon to attend Mr. C M Stephen’s funeral.