Slum rehabilitation project for Shimlapuri area coming soon

The district administration has decided to launch a slum rehabilitation project in the Shimlapuri locality here shortly.

For the purpose, a preliminary survey of the Shimlapuri slum area has identified 50 families, with a population of 400, which includes 300 children.

In the initial phase of the project, the Education Department will offer counselling to slum children to facilitate their admission to appropriate classes based on individual learning assessments.

Health teams will conduct screening camps to assess the health of the residents and provide necessary treatment. Additionally, the department will also ensure the enrolment of eligible individuals under the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY).

Moreover, the Social Security Department will assist eligible individuals in enrolling for various pension schemes. The District Bureau of Employment and Entrepreneurship (DBEE) will provide skill training for unemployed slum dwellers to help them secure respectable livelihoods. The Municipal Corporation will ensure cleanliness, besides community sanitary complexes in the slums.

Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said education and health were the foundation of any society and with strong foundations, societal development becomes inevitable.

He announced that teams of different departments would begin working in the slum area from the next week and they would submit their reports accordingly. Based on the reports, a detailed strategy for the rehabilitation of the slum would be developed.

Jorwal highlighted that the project would serve as a stepping stone to secure a bright future for children in the slums by facilitating their admission to nearby schools after proper educational counselling. A system would be established to ensure that students attend classes regularly.

He said the skills of the parents would be assessed and they would receive training to help them earn a respectable livelihood by making them skilled.

The Deputy Commissioner said upon the successful completion of the project, the district administration would focus on rehabilitating more slum areas in the district.

He said the project was in line with the state government’s commitment for the holistic development of the community, and every effort would be made to support the people in this endeavour.

Additional Deputy Commissioners Amarjit Bains, Rohit Gupta, Chief Minister’s field officer Kritika Goyal, SDMs Jasleen Kaur and Poonampreet Kaur were among others present in the meeting to finalise the plan.