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CASE STUDIES

ASHA CHADHI PARWAN – DREAM COMES TRUE

-A Model Project under PMAY at Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh

MR. CHAHAT SHAH In Rajnadgaon, Chhattisgarh 61 slums across India and have
families suffering from leprosy,
been subjected to wide-scale
MR. DEBESH CHAKRABORTY resided in a precarious conditions demolition along with lack
MR. SOHAN GUPTA in a locality named Asha Nagar. of government recognition.
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Leprosy is a disease which
Yojana (PMAY-U), they were incapacitates a person, and
This project has easy selected as beneficiaries and when one has a community
transferability, any through convergence with multiple affected by it, rehabilitation of
project which focuses government schemes, process of them is in itself a challenge. In
on addressing the constructing all weather houses Rajnandgaon town, Chhattisgarh
housing needs of a was initiated, to raise their socio- there were 61 families suffering
particular group/ economic standard, inculcate from leprosy, unable to arrange
faction/gender residing faith in government policies and meals to eat, thinking about
in the same locality to provide livelihood. Enhanced house was a distant dream while
can be implemented access to state-sponsored nutrition residing in precarious conditions
by following what programs have improved food in a locality named Asha Nagar.
has been successfully security and health among the Though they were given shelters
executed in this project. community, resulting in no new to reside in 1984, by the then
By selecting such leprosy case. More children attend collector, physical ailments and
group of individuals school, while women hold leadership financial incapability made it
as beneficiary in the positions within the community and impossible for them to maintain
PMAY and converging have been supported to become self- the housing; with passage of time
the benefits of multiple sufficient. Due to livelihood options, they were treated as ghetto’s,
scheme, aided by holistic family income has quadrupled; excluded and ostracized from the
planning of project societal acceptance has increased; society. Every year in inclement
implementation can resulting in higher happiness- weather conditions they faced
yield far-fetched results index. Through its community-led extreme inconveniences, and

approach, the project empowers without a permanent source
Key Words: PMAY, Rehabilitation, the marginalized groups to resist This community had been
Asha Chadhi Parwan, Convergence oppressive practices and access their subjected to land expulsions,
basic human rights, restoring their and in 1984 were shunted to the
Mr. Chahat Shah (chahatsshah@gmail. dignity and transforming their lives edge of the city resulting in few
com) is Team Leader, PMU – UADD, for generations to come.
Chhattisgarh. Mr. Debesh Chakraborty livelihood opportunities and
(c_debesh@hudco.org) is JGM (Projects), was suffering from malnutrition,
HUDCO. Mr. Sohan Gupta (gupta. INTRODUCTION which forced them to resort to
sohan945@gmail.com) is Deputy Project Millions of people live in begging for livelihood.
101
Manager – PMAY, Chhattisgarh. 101

October 2020 Volume 21 No. 2-SHELTER 101