Swachh minds key to lofty goals

Launch of three great schemes simultaneously - Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Housing for All – is a well-thought-out programme. But, without the commitment of the State governments and IF (yes, a big if) no politics are sought to be played out, could change the face of our cities and towns the way we want it

When the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the Urban Housing Programme on June 25, it amounted to launching the second biggest dream of Modi in the direction of Swachh Bharat. The country has already seen the fanfare associated with the latter. If the programme is yielding any results is debatable. This housing programme could, however, be a game-changer, provided, it does not get mired in controversies or politics.

Bharat could not become Swachch unless the country as a whole – which means every State, region, district, town and village and every individual – makes it a personal campaign. The citizens should crave for it, not just the governments. Generating 68.8 million tonne waste every year (it could be even higher as not every nook and corner has been looked into), this country certainly cannot deliver a clean India. Cleanliness should be on top of everyone’s agenda, not just on the government’s programmes.

Here is where the housing programme could make the difference. For record sake, this country witnesses everyday 597 million of its children defecating in the open. Of course, we are not referring to only this human waste, but the roughage that every household is producing that is piling up and also disposal of all forms of waste in the country.

The biggest culprit is the urban India. More than 6,000 tonne plastic waste is generated by our cities daily and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has calculated that the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi alone would require 1,400 sqkm of land for its garbage dump by 2047. A report of The Water and Sanitation Programme of the World Bank says every dollar spent on sanitation would lead to saving nine dollars on health, education and economic development.

Again, poverty alone is not the sole cause of the practice of open defecation, a UNICEF report says, pointing out that only 28 per cent in Pakistan practise this against India’s 54 per cent and in Sri Lanka, it is just 1 per cent. Bangladesh is almost free of the same. Hence, the Rs 60,000 crore per year Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the Housing for All by 2022 Mission alone, if implemented sincerely without either politicians, officials or middlemen eating into it, have the potential to transform the nation into what we dream of it to be. This national mission for Urban Housing was launched on June 25) by the Prime Minister.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for launch of “Housing for All by 2022” aimed for urban areas with following components/options to States and Union Territories and cities:

Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with participation of private developers using land as a resource, promotion of affordable housing for weaker section through credit linked subsidy, affordable housing in partnership with public & private sectors and, subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house construction or enhancement.

Central grant of Rs 1 lakh per house, on an average, will be available under the slum rehabilitation programme. A State Government would have flexibility in deploying this slum rehabilitation grant to any slum rehabilitation project taken for development using land as a resource for providing houses to slum dwellers. Under the credit-linked interest subsidy component, an interest subsidy of 6.5 per cent on housing loans availed over a tenure of 15 years will be provided to EWS/LIG categories, wherein the subsidy pay-out would be about Rs 2.3 lakh per house for both the categories.

Central assistance at the rate of Rs 1.5 lakh per house for EWS category will be provided under the Affordable Housing in Partnership and Beneficiary-led individual house construction or enhancement. State governments or their like housing boards can take up the project of affordable housing to avail of the Central grant. No doubt much thinking has gone into the programme and the contribution of the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) to the same is significant. The scheme will be implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme except that the credit-linked subsidy component will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme.

The mission also prescribes certain mandatory reforms for easing up the urban land market for housing, to make adequate urban land available for affordable housing. Houses constructed under the mission would be allotted in the name of the female head of the households or in the joint name of the male head of the household and his wife. The scheme will cover the entire urban area consisting of 4041 statutory towns with initial focus on 500 Class I cities and it will be implemented in three phases as follows, viz. Phase-I (April 2015 - March 2017) to cover 100 Cities to be selected from States/UTs as per their willingness; Phase - II (April 2017 - March 2019) to cover additional 200 Cities and Phase-III (April 2019 - March 2022) to cover all other remaining Cities.

However, there will be flexibility in covering the number of cities in various phases and inclusion of additional cities may be considered by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty alleviation in case there is demand from States and cities and have capacity to include them in earlier phases. Credit-linked subsidy component of the scheme would be implemented across the country in all statutory towns from the very beginning. The scheme is, as stated earlier, a well-thought out programme. But, without the commitment of the State governments and IF (yes, a big if) no politics are sought to be played out, could change the face of our cities and towns the way we want it.

As we are all aware, a smart city is not all about smart connectivity, but, if any, it is about clean environs. (In this regard, Andhra Pradesh standing at the threshold of history has the biggest opportunity in evolving Amaravati as not just a world-class phenomenon but also as one of the cleanest in the world if its government is really interested). All said and done, it is a reasonable beginning – only two crore houses as the target. Exact number of houses, though, would depend on demand survey for which all States/Cities will undertake detailed demand assessment for assessing real need by integrating Aadhaar number, Jan Dhan Yojana account numbers or any such identification of intended beneficiaries.

A technology sub-mission would be set up to facilitate adoption of modern, innovative and green technologies and building material for faster and quality construction of houses. The technology sub-mission will also facilitate preparation and adoption of layout designs and building plans suitable for various geo-climatic zones. It will also assist States/cities in deploying disaster-resistant and environment-friendly technologies, the government claims. The body will interact closely with the government and also design and plan innovative technologies and materials for building green buildings (using natural resources) and disaster resistant technologies.

Here is the key to success. It is up to the State governments to undertake project formulation and seek approval for the same in accordance with the mission guidelines. It would be easier if the State governments understand the impact of the programme and plan it speedily and wisely. Wasting time would not be good for the country. But just as cleanliness or lack of it is an attitude or a behavioral problem, politics, too, is inherent to the governments. Bickering governments and petty politicking is not going to help the nation. Such programmes need Swachh politics too! Do we have it in us?