New Delhi, July 20: Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation has made substantial changes in the Guidelines for implementation of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Urban Livelihoods Mission to benefit more and more urban poor by relaxing the norms for implementation of the Mission.
The National Governing Council of the Mission, an inter-ministerial body chaired by the Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today approved several changes in the operational guidelines of the Mission after detailed deliberations. Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh also attended the meeting.
Banks have now been allowed to directly accept applications from the beneficiaries for extending subsidized loans for setting up individual and group enterprises under the Self-Employment Programme component of DAY-NULM dispensing with the need for sponsorship by concerned urban local bodies. One bank will be designated as the Nodal Agency for each State to coordinate with all other banks to increase banking linkages for loan support under this component.
Norms for formation of Self-Help Groups of urban poor have been relaxed allowing up to 10 members to form a group in hilly tracts and tribal areas as against the earlier norm of 20 members. Men involved in vulnerable occupations like sanitation workers, rag pickers, rikshaw pullers etc., are now allowed to form such Groups who would be eligible for bank loans and revolving fund of Rs.10,000/- per each group.
The Governing Council allowed construction of shelters for urban homeless with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds and other donations allowing display of names of such donors. Construction of multi-storied shelters for urban homeless keeping in view land constraints has also been permitted besides allowing attendants of patients to use such shelters. CCTVs are to be provided in shelters for women and children to ensure their security.
The Council has permitted convergence of DAY-NULM with other schemes like Prime Minister’s Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Skill Development, Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana and various social security schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana etc. , besides ensuring Aadhar linkages.
After reviewing the physical and financial progress under DAY-NULM during the last two years, Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that the performance vis-à-vis targets has been satisfactory but there is need for States to do more.
As against the target of formation of 70,062, Self-Help Groups, actual performance has been 1,05,958. Under Self-Employment Programme component, 94,549 beneficiaries have been given subsidized bank loans for setting up individual and group enterprises against the target of 90,062. A total of 4,36,110 urban poor have been imparted skill training during the last two financial years and another 1,38,385 have so far been skilled during the current fiscal. 336 shelters for urban homeless have been so far made operational.
