This was stated by Dr. (Ms.) Girija Vyas, Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
Dr Vyas stated that the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation has been implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) through the State/UT Governments.
The Scheme aimed at providing gainful employment to the urban unemployed and under-employed poor by encouraging setting up of self employment ventures by the urban poor, skills training and through providing wage employment by utilizing their labour for construction of socially and economically useful public assets.
A total of 13,07,547 beneficiaries have been assisted under Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP), 31,61,339 persons have been skill trained under Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP) and 6,62,893 women beneficiaries have been assisted for setting up Group micro enterprises under Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP) components of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) since its inception, the Minister added.
Dr Vyas further stated that the Ministry has launched the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) in the 12th Five Year Plan w.e.f. 24th September, 2013 by replacing the existing scheme of SJSRY.
The NULM will focus on organizing urban poor in self help groups, creating opportunities for skill development leading to market-based employment and helping them to set up self-employment ventures by ensuring easy access to credit.
As a part of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, the Ministry organizes National, Regional and State Level training and capacity building programmes, workshops, advertisement and publicity campaign etc. to sensitize the stakeholders.
The Ministry also regularly monitors the progress of the Scheme through quarterly/monthly physical and financial reports, periodic review meeting at state/regional/city level and field visits by Ministry’s Officers.