Page 78 - HUDCO BEST PRACTICE AWARDS

Housing, urban Poverty & infrastructure

WoMEn AS cHAngE AgEnt in Building Leadership and Bringing changes in

their communities by State uPA cell, SjSry, chandigarh

omen as a Change Agent in Building Leadership and bringing change in their Initially a mapping exercise was done on the city map; Neighbourhood Groups were
Wcommunity was the sole aim of the above participative community development identified. Neighbourhood Committees (NHCs) were formed and thereafter CDS was
model. This initiative hovers around poor women who were a part of socio-economic formed on the basis of elections or consensus. More than 13 major sites were covered
discrimination by their family and community. It was believed that lack of expert staff in with a wide coverage of approximately 10,000 families. Approx. 160 urban poor women
social development, livelihood and community development at ULB level made beneficial were directly part of the Community Development Societies; who were taking the whole
schemes far behind the reach of underprivileged. Much needy beneficiaries were left benefits of the scheme to the bottom line.
behind due to lack of mechanism for identification of beneficiaries and non-compliance of
eligibility criteria in certain proofs viz. BPL survey and yellow cards etc.
Community Development Society (CDS) is an organizational pattern which is able to keep
vertical as well as horizontal relationship between urban poor and government machinery
at all levels from urban area to national level. UCDN component in revised SJSRY guidelines
has given wider avenues in the area of community development by way of democratic
community structures.
The core objectives of these networks included paving women leadership among urban
poor, community empowerment and capacity building, financial inclusion, participatory
community development and linking livelihood generation for the urban poor.
A framework was designed for its proper functioning. The major activities conducted for
this network of CDS were coordinating the conduct of slum, Households and livelihoods
surveys and maintaining database on the urban poor and their needs; working with the
community to implement and monitor SJSRY and related programmes or activities;
assessing skill needs of the urban poor and facilitating skill development training and
post-training handholding; facilitating community empowerment through community level
training, information sharing, exchange of experiences, community skills enhancement Capacity building exercise being conducted
programmes, etc.

Year 2011-12

KuDuMBASHrEE - StAtE PoVErty ErADicAtion MiSSion for Slum
improvement through community network by Kudambashree

n Kerala, under Integrated Housing and Slum Development programme (IHSDP) of untapped literate female workforce. A special drive was initiated to form Neighborhood
IJawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM), 45 Urban Local Bodies Groups (NHGs) as a basic requisite for the advancement of the programme in the
(ULBs) were engaged in works including infrastructure upgradation pertaining to housing, project clusters. The Community Development Society (CDS) gradually took the role of a
sewerage, road, sanitation and drinking water. Kudumbashree - the state Level Nodal ‘contractor’. They pooled in antique woodwork and other raw materials for construction
Agency for anchoring all the centrally sponsored schemes for upliftment of the urban poor from demolished structures for building cost effective houses in the clusters.
in the state, in line with the above programme worked for its State Poverty Eradication The impact of the project- A total of 79 new houses were constructed under the project.
Mission for Slum Improvement through community network. Each cluster was upgraded with physical infrastructure such as efficient drinking water
The project chosen was located in Chavakkad Municipality in the west coast of Thrissur supply, rainwater harvesting structures, covered sewerage network, sewage treatment
district. Due to lack of regular income and due to poor living conditions, slums had emerged plant, legal electric connections, tarred approach roads with street lighting and fencing; as
in the town and out of the 27 notified slums, 7 of the most vulnerable colonies with a total well as social infrastructure such as libraries, anganwadis, study centres for girl children,
population of 821 were identified to be covered under IHSDP, based on a survey conducted community halls, health clinics etc.
by the Community Development Societies in 2006-07. The inhabitants of these colonies Participatory planning was the key tool adopted to identify the critical problems and the
were mainly casual labourers. The project aimed at improving the quality of life of the priorities for adoption of socio-economic strategies for development of the clusters. The
urban poor in Chavakkad through improving the condition of housing stock, provision collectivism brought in a sense of ownership for sustaining the local development activities.
of efficient services to each household, ensuring equal access to social and community The women structures were now able to implement and monitor the whole process and
facilities and economic empowerment of the community through effective use of were able to exercise their right for entitlements instead of remaining at the fringes. The

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