The lack of clarity over the nodal agency for the implementation of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) in the State is likely to be resolved with an amendment of a Government Order.
The change will also ensure that a key component of DAY-NULM, which benefits the most vulnerable sections of society, including the disabled, domestic workers and sanitary workers, which was left out in the earlier plan, will be incorporated.
According to the minutes of a review meeting on the DAY-NULM, chaired by the Finance Secretary, the seventh component in the NULM — Innovative and Special Projects — had been omitted.
Four components — social mobilisation of institution development, employment through skill training and placement, capacity building and training and self employment programme — were shifted from the Municipal Administration to the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW).
The decision was taken in March 2016 to implement the Vision 2023 of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to achieve a poverty-free State.
The other two components — shelter for urban homeless and support for urban street vendors — will be under Municipal Administration. According to the minutes, the G.O. delineating the responsibility for the implementation of DAY-NULM between the two departments needed to be amended.
There was a lack of clarity on the nodal agency and implementing agency, which resulted in a lag in implementation and filing of utilisation certificate with the Central government.
Funds disbursal
In the proposal, DAY-NULM will be administered by TNCDW as the nodal agency. It will draw up the annual action plan, project activities component-wise, implement the scheme and utilise the funds.
The minutes further stated that the Commissioner of Municipal Administration, as the HoD, will continue to draw and disburse the funds under the programme to TNCDW.
Activists, however, have raised concerns over the effective implementation of the programme and the expertise of TNCDW, which focusses on the rural sector. “It is not that simple. There are several other departments working on providing livelihood assistance in the urban areas as well. But they have not been able to touch the fringes of problem. The new nodal agency might only duplicate their methods,” said R. Geetha, adviser to the Unorganised Workers Federation.
Vanessa Peter, policy researcher, Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC), said there was a need to have a synergised effect while implementing such schemes. “The State must form an urban poverty alleviation cell where these different programmes can come under one umbrella,” she noted.
