UPA promises homes for the rural homeless

The UPA government with an eye on next year’s Lok Sabha elections, has now come up with a plan to provide homes to the homeless living in rural areas. The draft for this entitlement-based programme which has been named as National Right to Homestead Bill, 2013, is complete for inter-ministerial consultation and has been already circulated amongst ministries and states.

This will be the second ambitious entitlement-based legislation by the UPA government after the National Food Security Bill, 2011. Ironically, the food bill is yet to be passed by the parliament. However getting both the laws passed in parliament is crucial for the government as elections are due this year in key states and Lok Sabha elections are slated for next year.

Last year, an activist movement named the Ekta Parishad that comprises thousands of community-based organisations and individuals had raised the issue of homes for rural poor in their charter of demands. Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh had agreed to those demands thus paving the way for the Homestead Bill. The government had consulted with the Ekta Parishad while drafting the Homestead Bill. The Rural Development ministry has prepared the draft that seeks to provide a homestead measuring 0.1 acre or 4,356 sq ft to every landless and homeless poor rural family. The bill is expected to be tabled by the ministry during the monsoon session of the parliament.