Hope Chandigarh becomes India’s first slum-free city: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday hoped Chandigarh would soon become India's first slum-free city, as he handed over keys to newly-built flats to slum dwellers.



Dr. Singh arrived in Chandigarh to hand over documents and keys to 10 flats to beneficiaries in a housing colony in Dhanas area of the union territory under the city's slum rehabilitation scheme.



"We have over 10 crore people living in slums across the country. Urban centres are under pressure from rapid urbanisation," Dr. Singh said.



Complimenting the Chandigarh administration for constructing the flats, he said the rehabilitation scheme will help make Chandigarh slum-free.



Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda accompanied the Prime Minister to the site.



A total of 8,448 flats will be handed over to slum-dwellers as part of the scheme.



Built under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) by the Chandigarh Housing Board, the flats will accommodate over 40,000 people.
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