Binding PDA to Backlash by Urban Poor

G S Oinam *

Every state has urban housing and development agency. Delhi Development Authority is a good example of urban housing and development work. DDA has created a large number of urban employment, urban housing and development. Beside, real estate private builders contribute a large share for urban employment generation.

It has become the fastest growing industry and business in many cities. They are creating millions of jobs in urban area. Real estate business is a combination of investors, builders, marketing and advertising agencies in the process of urban development.

In Manipur, Planning and Development Authority (PDA) is the only agency for urban development. Unlike any other state, PDA's jurisdiction is confined to Imphal municipality area only. Now, Imphal has become a congested area. No land is available for urban housing and development plan extension in and around Imphal municipality area. To build up Imphal a model city, a big amount of budget will require beside legal tussles and public protest on sealing, demolition of building and houses, compensation of land and building, road and street reconstruction and expansion, sewage system etc.

Manipur has a little scope of urban development, housing, planning and extension in the present existing system. Therefore, it is better to keep Imphal as old city and build up a model city somewhere (satellite city). However, PDA will be helpless unless its scope and jurisdiction are enlarged and extended all over Manipur like other state counterparts on urban development. May the State cabinet kindly be considered in this regard?

Recently, the ministry of urban development has launched urban poor housing plan and home loan subsidy of 1% to urban poor. However, the benefit of housing loan scheme will be less effective in Manipur due to ground reality on present scope and jurisdiction of PDA in the process of implementing the scheme. State contractors and builders are less experience in marketing and advertising skill; therefore, real estate business is subject to market risk.

Local contractors are always confined to government contract works only. They are seemed jobless when government contract works was stopped. Flat and apartment system of urban low cost housing, shopping mall has become necessary to be existence in Manipur. This system will save land, proper arrangement of the structure and beautification of the city. Besides, it is a planning to discourage joint family norm and encouraging nuclear family to short out our social and family discords.

Finally, Imphal city will becoming another Meerut city, Cuttak city or present Kolkata city in long run unless model city plan is introduced. Luckily, Kolkata has now model city at Salt Lake, Bhubaneshwar model city in Orissa replacing old city of Cuttack. Old Meerut city was replaced by newly developed model cities like Ghaziyabad city and Noida city.

So, what Manipur will have when PDA is binding in Imphal municipality area only? It is ridiculous. Who will implement urban poor housing benefit scheme in Manipur? What about urban housing and planning in other district of Manipur?

Centre has approved 1% interest subsidy on home loans for houses that cost up to Rs.20 lakh. The Subsidy will be available for loans up to Rs.10 Lakh, provided the cost of the house does not exceed Rs. 20 lakh. It is expected that cut in interest rates should reduce equated monthly installments (EMIs) of borrowers and create additional demand for housing, particularly in the low cost category.

This scheme will cost the exchequer Rs. 1,000 crore and benefit about 10 lakh borrowers, is likely to stimulate demand in the construction sector as well as industries such as steel, cement, brick etc having employment and income multiplier effect in small cities. Can Manipur get the advantage and right opportunity of UPA's new housing scheme of urban poor?

Work force participation rate of Manipur during 2001:

Total work force participation of Manipur is 44.79% (male 47.76, female 35.02), total urban work force participation is 38.71 %( male 45.17, female 32.28); Rural work force participation is 46.72%.(50.07% male,43.20% female).

Number of household and family size of Manipur: - total no of household is 375,095, household size 5.8 persons per family. House hold size of Manipur is among the 6th largest in India. State government may target the household size reduced to 4 persons per family norm in Manipur; building more low cost house/flat which will enable to minimize social and family discords. New generation couples likes privacy and small happy family life.

In our society, elders are also encouraging nuclear family separated from joint family after marriage of young couples in the matter of finance, day to day activities etc. However, family discords are often happening even for a slip of tongue between the married women and children and among the family members. Therefore, a separate home will be the best option for them for privacy, security and peace of mind. They may be affordable to purchase a small flat through bank EMIs.

Employment in organized sectors in Manipur is 80,000 employees only in which women employees represented 25% during 2001. Percentage of employees in organized sector with respect to population is lowest in all India. Social security of staff employees in the unorganized sectors are uncertainty. Therefore, more organized sectors needs to be grow up in Manipur.

Labour rules in the state need to be vigil for effective implementation and revising minimum wage rate considering price soar. Under the minimum wages act 1948, Delhi government has recently announced an installment of D.A.of Rs19/- for the workers covered by the scheduled employments w.e.f. 01.08.2009. This increase in D.A. is based on average increase in Consumer Price Index Numbers from January 2009 to June 2009 vis- a -vis the previous six months. This D.A. is applicable to all 29 scheduled employments.

Revised wages are Unskilled labour- Rs.152 /-per day, Semi skilled-Rs.158/-, Skilled labour- Rs. 168/- Non matriculate-Rs.159/- per day, matriculate but not graduate-Rs.169/- and graduate and above Rs. 181/-per day. Labour department of Manipur needs to increase the minimum wage rates as per increase in consumer price index numbers. This will be very helpful to prepare preferable project proposals on social welfare sectors.

Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and National Housing Development Finance Corporation (NHDFC) are providing financial support in the related field apart from nationalized banks loan in the region. Local builders, investors with the partnership of marketing and management experts and advertising agency can start the project of low cost apartment and shopping mall with the help of bank loan. This project will create thousands of jobs in Manipur.

Real estate business has multiplier effect too and it is one of the most profitable and rapidly expanding businesses all over India. Our local contractors are suggested to prepare a collective plan to divert the burden on government contract works to private builders which will enable our contractors to work boldly, independently and they will no longer dependent on government contract works. Only then, investors and builders will be the real boss; they will no longer require being a loyalist to ministers, government engineers and clerks etc.

However, this benefit will be share equally to traders, carpentry and furniture house, hardware shop, plumbers, electricians, electrical shops, cement dealers, iron and steel agency, stone quarry, transporters, building machinery owners, brick field industries etc. Hundreds of educated unemployed can be absorbed in advertising, marketing, management, property dealer business.

Thousands of skilled and non skilled urban workers can be absorbed in this business. But, how the work plan can be translated into action is depend on initiatives and responsibilities of PDA and group of local builders.