Government extends basic services to urban poor programme till March 2017

NEW DELHI: With over 1.86 lakh dwellings still to be completed under the BSUP mission, the government today said it has extended the programme to provide basic services to the urban poor by another two years till March 2017.

Informing Lok Sabha about extension of the BSUP (Basic Services to the Urban Poor) scheme, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also said the 'Housing for All' scheme by 2022 would be launched soon.

"The extended period of BSUP scheme has ended on March 31, 2015. Government has recently further extended the Mission period by two years up to March 31, 2017 only to complete ongoing projects," Naidu said during Question Hour.

Under the scheme, 481 projects were approved for building 7.89 lakh dwellings. Of them, construction of 6.03 lakh dwellings have been completed while work is in progress for 1.86 lakh units as on April 16.

He also expressed confidence that construction of all dwellings under the scheme would be completed by March 2017. The cost for 481 projects was estimated to be little over Rs 22,693 crore.

The works being done under BSUP were reviewed regularly and states and union territories were urged to complete "ongoing projects expeditiously" Naidu said.

Responding to queries, the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister said that new schemes would be launched this year. "Housing for all scheme will be launched soon," he said.

Acknowleding that there were some problems relating to land owned by the central government in various parts, Naidu said he was making sincere efforts to find a solution. In certain parts, there are slums in central government land and there is a dilemma on whether it can be regularised or not.

"There are practical problems," the Minister said and added that discussions in this regard have been held with various Ministries including Defence.

With regard to BSUP programme, Naidu said state governments and urban local bodies have to take initiatives and added that the Ministry has also send advisories to states for implementing reforms in this regard.

Emphasising that he was not putting the blame on state governments and local urban bodies, Naidu said he was only giving the factual position.