Building dreams for homeless

Jharkhand tribals build their own government homes

After suffering the idiosyncrasies of a dysfunctional government housing programme, tribals in Jharkhand are building their houses under the scheme. They are now spared the depredations of contractors and the uncertainties of houses that either never get completed or aren't worth living in.

Karnataka legislature amends state Panchayati Raj Act

on april 21, 2007, the Karnataka legislative council (upper house of the legislature) passed an amendment to the state Panchayati Raj Act, 1993, to take over the role of panchayats in selecting beneficiaries for development programmes at the village-level. "If the gram panchayat fails to prepare beneficiaries' list in respect of housing schemes or other programmes funded by the government, then a committee headed by the member of the legislative assembly (mla) from the constituency shall select the beneficiaries,"

Maharashtra draft urban housing policy not enough

Maharashtra's draft state housing policy (dshp) is ready. Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced it on November 1, 2006. Prepared in a record three-month period by a taskforce headedby the state chief secretary, this is the first-ever housing policy for Maharashtra and is in consonance with the Centre's National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2005 with the goal of "shelter for all".

Killer smog back again

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is again losing ground in its battle against pollution, after hard-won gains in the 1990s. According to the country's pollution department, the level of fine particles in the air in several districts of Santiago has seen a drastic rise in the last two years and are now well above the international safe limits.

On track

Rural Cyber Kiosks India

Online

www.oceania.indymedia.org/newsreal Beyond borders

Clay ceilings

rural housing is the priority area of the Centre of Science for Villages ( csv ), Wardha, Maharashtra. The latest thrust of research here is on various cost reducing technologies to suit the housing needs of the poor villagers of the district.

Homing in

"You couldn't do anything that would give a villager greater satisfaction than giving him a house," said the Prime Minister, P V Narasimha Rao, speaking at the valedictory session of the National Consultation on Rural Housing - Enhancing Capacity for People's Participation and Technology Transfer held in New Delhi from May 30-31.