'Country to be made slum free in next five years'

The government on Thursday said it wants to make the country free of slums in the next five years through a housing scheme for urban poor.

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy said a housing scheme for the urban poor has been envisaged to help the people living in slums get their own houses.

He said the absolute number of urban poor has increased between 1993-94 and 2004-05 from 76.34 million to 80.80 million due to migration from rural areas.

Image: High rise buildings are seen behind a slum in Mumbai

Photograph: Arko Dutta / Reuters

Text: PTI