The Himachal government is changing laws to make environment norms stringent for real estate developers, forcing them to take care of concerns of the local ecology and residents.

The number of people living in acute poverty in Mizoram are fast increasing but the successive governments continue to display indifferent attitude to this issue.

In Aizawl alone there are over 60,000 people living in Mizoram version of slum areas. They are officially called

The housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry is facing teething problems trying to formulate the implementation and financing pattern of the UPA government

MUMBAI: The overblown myth about the `city of gold' where poor migrants make their fortune has been dealt a blow by a recent report from the Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation.

Mumbai: The overblown myth about the

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has asked Chief Ministers to amend the existing city planning models and prepare and implement

Housing is one of the three basic human needs, next only to food and clothing. It is an essential element in the overall socio-economic development of the country and its citizens, and for the satisfaction of social and cultural aspirations of the people. Construction activity accounts for more than 50 per cent of the development outlays.

* The Planning Commission estimates the urban poor at some 80 million
* Figure for the rural poor is 120 million
* Over 98 million people migrate from rural to urban centres
* The 42nd Indian Labour Conference recommended a scheme for tackling urban unemployment

SAMBALPUR: Unbridled growth and unchecked encroachments have posed a serious threat to natural resources, particularly water bodies. And this assumes significance at a time when climate change, manifested in growing heat in the cities like Sambalpur, is taking a heavy toll.

Sambalpur is hardly left with any forest cover and the water bodies are dying a slow death.

March 2009, target date for rehabilitation of manual scavengers Sanitary latrines for all rural households by 2012 Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar has urged Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja to ensure that all dry latrines in rural areas are converted into water seal latrines by March 2009. That is also the target date for rehabilitation of remaining manual scavengers.

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