The eight-member group led by Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC Limited, was formed in February to review the draft guidelines of the UPA government’s slum upgradation and rehabilitation scheme.
The committee has suggested different strategies to tackle the components of RAY, which includes in-situ slum upgradation, rehabilitation, and creation of new housing.
RAY was a scheme announced by the President Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil in 2009 to promote slum-free India in five years and would focus on according property rights to slum dwellers. The scheme would provide basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, internal and approach roads, street lighting and social infrastructure facilities in slums and low income settlements adopting a 'whole city' approach. It would also provide subsidized credit.
During the announcement, the President also said that the government would continue to focus on infrastructure, basic services and governance reform and increase support to cities to upgrade public transport. Over 15 lakh houses are under construction for the urban poor and there is a need to focus on urban housing programmes for the slum dwellers.
The announcement was made a year ago but the scheme has not taken off as yet.
However, the ministry has accepted the recommendations in committee report and incorporated them while finalizing the guidelines.
