NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to introduce a programme — aiming at ‘appreciable improvement’ in the livelihoods of vulnerable groups within the informal sector such as construction workers, gig workers, waste workers, care workers, domestic workers, and transportation workers — on the lines of National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM).According to the officials, the workers engaged in precarious jobs with low wages, hazardous conditions, and limited access to social protection will be the primary beneficiaries of the new scheme. A pilot spanning over three months to ensure effective implementation will be launched on October 1 in 25 cities; industrial hubs, migrant centres, aspirational districts, and port towns.The pilot aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing financial assistance, social protection such as health and insurance cover, access to credit for micro-enterprises and fostering innovation and collaborations, said officials.The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently organised a workshop during which deliberations were held on the contours of pilot implementation of a proposed new programme; various aspects of poverty in urban areas, methods that can be adopted to address the same and to sensitize the states or urban local bodies.Speaking at the workshop, secretary, MoHUA Srinivas Katikithala said, “Urbanisation provides various opportunities and there is a need to harness these opportunities through innovative thinking so that the urban poor, particularly the vulnerable groups, including youths can get access to better opportunities.”The directors of state missions, Municipal Commissioners and city representatives of 25 cities with senior officials attended the workshop.
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