The report by Supriya Roy Chowdhury, Professor, Centre for Political Institutions, Governance and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, is based on the findings of a recently concluded project: “Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka’s Development.” The project covered 16 slums in South Central Bangalore, 12 from Chamarajpet alone and the survey was carried out between 2006 and 2007. The slums were selected using random sampling technique.
Making a presentation in the City on Wednesday, Chowdhury said the limited benefits accrued to slum dwellers “have happened almost as an accidental spin off and not the result of any well-formulated policy to integrate the urban underclass with a city’s growing economy, either through state support – manifested in specific programs designed for the poor (education, skills, vocational training) – or through private sector efforts to create a context for the inclusion of the poor.” The programme was organised by CIVIC Bangalore.
The work of NGOs was concentrated on international funding requirements of writing projects, getting a grant, and showing some “results” in terms of children going to school, or so many toilets built.”There is little or no attention to the interconnected nature of urban poverty,” the professor said.