In a significant gesture to persons living with HIV/AIDS, the government has come out with a new housing scheme for this socially ostracised section of the society. Below-poverty-line persons with HIV will be provided houses under Ashraya Scheme both in rural and urban areas.

The scheme, perhaps the first of its kind in the country, can end the agony of the HIV-affected, who quite often face total isolation even from their near and dear ones.

The government has drawn up the scheme to ensure housing facilities to people belonging to a Special Group (SG) drawn from selected sections of the society. Also included in the SG are cured leprosy patients (CLPs), physically challenged, ex-servicemen, those who have been driven out of forest areas and tank beds, the flood-hit, Devadasis, women victims of atrocities and Anganwadi workers, victims of communal violence, weavers, hamals, bidi workers and artisans.

The responsibility of identifying and submitting the list of eligible persons with HIV has been entrusted to the District Health Officers. According to District TB Control Officer Dr Sharanabasappa, Divya Jeevan, a network of HIV positive persons, has already submitted a list of about 15 prospective beneficiaries to be forwarded to the district-level committee after due verification. Any BPL person with HIV can directly apply for an Ashraya house to the Health Department.

Within the SG, the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation, the implementing agency, has drawn up three categories and HIV positive persons and a few others (CLPs, physically disabled, Devadasis and women victims of atrocities) fall in the top-priority Category A.

No targets
No target has been fixed in identifying beneficiaries “as the scheme will be in force till every eligible person is covered.” The district-level committees have been asked to identify all eligible beneficiaries in Category A at the earliest.

Category B has persons displaced from forest areas and tank beds, flood-affected, other victims of atrocities and communal violence, and Category C includes weavers, hamals, bidi workers, Anganwadi employees and ex-service men.

The houses will have to be constructed by beneficiaries themselves and under special circumstances the Corporation may permit construction of houses through  agencies.The beneficiaries in all categories should satisfy conditions prescribed under housing schemes namely Ashraya, Ambedkar and Indira Awas. They will enjoy long-term, low-interest loans for house construction.

The Housing Corporation will release funds directly to urban local bodies and gram panchayats for construction of houses. District-level committees are headed by deputy commissioners and CEOs of zilla panchayats are the vice-chairmen and the ZP nodal officer in charge of housing schemes will be the member-secretary. The other members include DHO, district heads of departments, two representatives of NGOs working for the welfare of the SG, social welfare officers, tahsildars, commissioners/chief officers of ULBs and taluk panchayat executive officers.