AS HE FINISHED an animated anecdote-filled account of how they wrested a tworoom apartment in return for bulldozed homes on the banks of the Sabarmati, Rajendra Nathalal Choudhary turned towards a middle aged man and said, “This is all thanks to Mohammad bhai. He inspired us to unite and fight for our rights. If not for him, we would have been homeless.” Mohammad bhai blushed, in the way a middle-aged man...
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Cholera epidemic kills 9, affects thousands in Solapur by Siddhesh Inamdar
An epidemic of cholera mainly in the slums in the eastern part of Solapur city has affected 4,048 people, leaving nine dead in the last one week. Speaking to The Hindu Solapur district Collector Jagadish Patil said, “The epidemic is in control now. Out of the nine people who died, three had tested positive for cholera. The other six died at home and their families did not allow authorities to conduct...
More »Income ceiling for low-cost housing loans increased by Aarti Dhar
The government has increased the income ceiling a month a household for housing loans from the existing Rs. 3,300 to Rs. 5,000 for the economically weaker sections (EWS) category and from Rs. 3,301 — Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 5,001 — Rs. 10,000 for the Lower Income Groups (LIG). The revised ceilings will be applicable for definition of beneficiaries under government schemes for housing including the Interest Subsidy for Housing the Urban...
More »Property rights for future migrants by Sanjeev Sanyal
In his recent Budget speech, the finance minister reiterated the government’s plans to make India “slum-free” within five years. This mantra is now being chanted in many urban-related conferences. However, this raises a number of questions. What does a “slum-free” India really mean? Is the removal of slums really desirable? Most importantly, what needs to be done to improve the lives of the millions of urban poor? In this article,...
More »Nothing Common about this Wealth by Dunu Roy
Much of the daylight robbery in the name of Commonwealth Games has been justified in the name of "National Prestige" and "World class aspirations. Whether all these surreptitious measures will eventually deliver the games is an open question? The Commonwealth is a 'friendly' association of those 72 colonies which were once part of the British Empire and rose to free nationhood - some through protracted struggle and others through negotiation. In...
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