Urban poverty alleviation schemes yet to reach many
Source: The Sangai Express / Ng Liklaileima Arambam

Imphal, March 18 2021: Even though several measures have been taken up to alleviate urban poverty under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), the mission is still unable to deliver its objective in the State.

As per the 2011 census report, the State's total population was 28.55 lakh and 8.34 lakh people were residing in urban areas.

The total population and urban population of the State were 23.93 lakh and 5.75 lakh respectively in 2001 .

These figures indicate that the urban population recorded a growth of 29.21 per cent between 2001 and 2011 .

The total number of people residing within the 27 urban local bodies of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur was 6.19 lakh as per the 2011 census report.

The areas which have been identified as urban under the Manipur Municipality Act 1994 are the 27 wards covered by Imphal Municipal Corporation, 18 wards covered by Thoubal Municipal Council, 12 wards covered by Kakching Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Lilong (Thoubal) Municipal Council, 13 wards covered by Mayang Imphal Municipal Council, 18 wards covered by Nambol Municipal Council, 12 wards covered by Moirang Municipal Council, 12 wards covered by Samurou Municipal Council, 11 wards covered by Thongkhong Lakshmi Municipal Council, 14 wards covered by Ningthoukhong Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Lilong (Imphal West) Municipal Council, 12 wards covered by Bishnupur Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Kakching Khunou Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Yairipok Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Kumbi Municipal Council, 12 wards covered by Andro Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Kwakta Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Wangjing Lamding Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Sikhong Sekmai Municipal Council, 10 wards covered by Jiribam Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Wangoi Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Oinam Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Sugnu Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Lamlai Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Sekmai Municipal Council, nine wards covered by Lamsang Nagar Panchayat and nine wards covered by Heirok Nagar Panchayat.

Urban poverty alleviation schemes yet to reach many

Several programmes were taken up to bring economic development and check population inflation at these urban areas under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana--National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) .

Some of the programmes taken up under DAY-NULM are Empowerment through Skill Training and Placement (EST&P), Social Mobilisation and Institution Development (SMID), Self Employment Programme, Support to Urban Street vendors, Centre for Urban Homeless etc.

In addition, there is the Pradhan Mantri Awaz Yojana - Housing for All (Urban) scheme of which the main purpose is construction of houses for poor urban families who have plots but no proper houses.

There is a programme for construction of individual household latrines and public toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission.

All these urban poverty alleviation schemes are implemented by the Manipur Urban Development Agency (MUDA) as the implementing agency under the Department of Municipal Administration, Housing and urban Development (MAHUD) .

However, the benefits of these schemes have not yet reached a large section of the urban poor.

According to data obtained from MUDA, 2410 people have been selected for skill training under EST&P till February 10, 2021 .

Out of them, 2312 have completed the training programme and have been issued certificates.

Of the 2312 people who have completed skill training, 299 have been given placements while 17 succeeded in creating self employment.

The trades/vocation under which people are trained under EST&P are apparels, tourism and hospitality, construction, beauty and wellness, retails, chemicals and petrochemicals, IT & ITES, life science, food processing, electronics, handicraft, media & entertainment, agriculture and textiles etc.

But the number people who have benefited from EST&P is quite limited.

All Manipur Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat Welfare Association president Leihaothabam Nonibala said that even though ULBs informed people of their respective wards about EST&P scheme, people encountered different kinds of difficulties as most of the training centres empanelled under MUDA are located at Imphal.

People from far off places find it difficult to go to these training centres and back on daily basis.

If the benefits of EST&P scheme should be delivered to the maximum number of people, the training centres should be decentralised, Nonibala said.

IMC Ward No 6 Corporator Indrajit said that EST&P scheme is highly beneficial and the training given under it does not cost anything.

However, most people have a notion that any training given free of cost would be of little value and utility.

So far, 2694 self help groups have been formed under SMID and revolving funds have been sanctioned to 2332 SHGs.

Further, 41 area level federations have been constituted and 35 of them have been sanctioned revolving fund.

According to information received from MUDA, 1110 SHGs have been given training.

Indrajit said that all SHGs are given a grant of Rs 10,000 each.

But the SHGs could not sustain themselves after receiving the revolving fund and the grant.

The number of SHGs which are genuinely interested in creating jobs and secure livelihood is very limited and they thrive, he remarked.

Although the urban poor constituted just 3.30 per cent of the State's total urban population in 2004-05, it multiplied to 32.59 per cent in 2011-12, according to data received from the Planning Commission, Government of India.

The corresponding figures of rural poor are 22.30 per cent and 38.80 per cent respectively.

As per information obtained from the Employment Exchanges, the number of registered unemployed male and female youth (urban residents) in Imphal West district as on February 20, 2020 are 9091 and 5831 .

The corresponding figures for Imphal East are 2832 and 1644, Thoubal 17,851 and 8712 and Bishnupur district 9,289 and 5,144 .

Leihaothabam Nonibala said that ULBs have a big role to play in securing jobs for the urban poor and also in reducing urban poverty.

But all the 27 ULBs of the State exist only for name's sake.

The Corporators and the Councillors know who are poor and jobless and what they want.

But the ULBs do not have the capacity to act for they are suffering from shortage of infrastructure and manpower.

Necessary powers have not been devolved to the ULBs, Nonibala said.

The Shelter for Urban Homeless was a scheme enacted with the basic objective of providing shelter/home to the urban homeless but the scheme has been abandoned without doing any good to any one.

The scheme was abandoned after a systematic survey carried out by Anthropology Department of Manipur University in 2008 found only four homeless persons in all the urban areas of the State.

Nonetheless, plans are afoot to construct two night shelter homes at Jiribam and Imphal, said one MUDA official.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have approved construction of 42,651 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaz Yojana - Housing for All within the 27 ULBs of the State.

Reports say that 1885 houses have been already constructed.

Pradhan Mantri Awaz Yojana - Housing for All scheme was launched in 2015 and it would expire in 2022 .

Each beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Awaz Yojana - Housing for All scheme is given a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh in three instalments.

One Pheiroijam Bijeta, a resident of Samurou Municipal Council Ward No 4 said she was elated on learning that the Government would be constructing a house for her.

"As I was told that construction of the house should begin with my own money which I had none, I borrowed money from other people and started construction.

With the construction work now half way through, I have received the first instalment of grant.

But the second instalment has not been received.

I would be very happy if the house can be completed before arrival of ferocious wind and onset of rainy season", Bijeta said.

This report is filed under the Khelen Thokchom Media Fellowship .