Kollam has become the first City Corporation in the State to finish the preliminary work including surveying and mapping of slums in the run-up to the rollout of the Rs 350-crore Rajiv Awaz Yojna (RAY) scheme.

Based on the socio-economic survey which will be completed fully by August 15, the Corporation would prepare a concrete action plan to declare itself slum-free.

CENTRE'S APPROVAL

It will be submitted later to the Centre for early approval and implementation, an official spokesman said here on Wednesday. The action plan, being prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the scheme, will comprise construction and renovation of settlements with minimum 25 sq m in area.

Civic amenities such as toilets and supply of electricity and drinking water will also be provided. Community centres such as anganwadis, commercial establishments, night shelters and houses for renting would also be set up.

The five City Corporations in the State have been brought under the scheme that seeks to achieve slum-free development of urban agglomerations with the help of the State Government.

NODAL AGENCY

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation asked the Corporations last month to prepare the preliminary works and submit action plans on a priority basis.

Kudumbashree, the State poverty eradication mission, is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme in the State, the spokesman said.

While completing the preliminary works, Kollam Corporation sought to ensure participation of people in all stages. City councillors and resource persons from selected slums were given orientation, while skilled slum-dwellers were busy conducting the preliminary survey, covering all the houses.

Several meetings were held to make the slum-dwellers aware of the entire project and involvement.

EXPERT PANEL

Based on the findings of the survey, a comprehensive action plan will be prepared by the expert panel. The works will then be launched as soon as the project gets approval and a pilot project will be executed thereafter.

Concerted efforts by officials, elected representatives and the people at large have been instrumental in pushing the preliminary steps work in time, according to Ms Sarada Muraleedharan, Executive Director, Kudumbashree.

Stress has always been given to ensure people's participation right through the surveying and planning for preparing the action plans, she added.

The State Government would now need to bring in required legislation for assignment of property rights to the slum-dwellers.

According to the guidelines of the scheme, the first part of the plan will be to upgrade existing slums, while the second part will aim at preventing the formation of new ones.

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