Innovative Stream for Rural Housing and Habitat Development

Innovative Stream for Rural Housing and habitat Development

From the year 1999-00, a small portion of Rural Housing resources have been kept apart for the implementation of special and innovative projects related to rural housing construction and habitat development.

Rationale, Objective and Target Group
The rationale for this scheme is the need for standardizing and popularizing/ replicating/ propagating cost effective environment friendly housing/ construction technologies, designs and materials and evolving ideal types of sustainable rural human settlements consistent with agro climatic variations and natural disaster proneness.  The objectives of the Innovative Stream for Rural Housing and Habitat Development is to promote/ propagate innovative and proven housing technologies, designs and materials in the rural areas.  Further since housing is now not merely a matter of constructing four walls and a roof, but involves the development of suitable, sustainable habitats, initiatives that lend themselves to superior habitat development will be supported.

Among those who may apply for project assistance under the Innovative Stream include recognized educational/ technical institutions; corporate bodies and autonomous societies with experience in the technology promotion and application; State Governments and development institutions and credible NGOs with proven track record and experience in the rural housing construction and habitat development etc. 
  
Project Screening Committee
The projects submitted under this Stream would be considered for approval by a Central Level Screening Committee comprising of

Secretary Rural Development     …Chairman
Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor   …Member
Representative from one credible institution involved
In the field of technology dissemination    …Member

Advisor (Rural Development) Planning Commission…Member
Joint Secretary (Rural Housing)   …Member Secretary

Broad guidelines for project formulation

1. The projects should contain innovative elements especially in regard to convergence of shelter and habitat development and inter departmental and inter disciplinary implementation at the ground level.

2. The project should also possess potential of reliability after the pilot stage is over.

3. Projects relating to areas that are remote, inaccessible, disaster affected and extremely backward in social and economic infrastructure shall be preferred.

4. The project should go beyond the normal features that can be covered by the ongoing Rural Housing programmes in general.

5. Project document should clearly spell out the management structure, monitoring provision and specify implementation responsibilities.

6. The total cost of the project submitted by an NGO/ autonomous society should in normal circumstances not exceed Rs 20 lakh and for eminent educational/ technical/ research institutions, the maximum lending could be to the tune of Rs 50 lakh.

7. The total duration of the project should not in normal circumstances exceed 2 years.

8. Releases under the project shall be made on an annual basis.  Second and all supplementary installments will be released only on the satisfactory implementation of the earlier phase.

9. The Project Steering Committee may from time to time coopt DG Capart or his nominee or any other expert to evaluate the credentials of NGOs submitting applications.

10. The recurring costs of post or maintenance expenditure should not be admitted in the projects.  However the project document must clearly specify as to how or from where it is proposed is  to be met.

11. Projects must contain a well planned strategy based on a thorough assessment of the local situation and resources to tackle specific problems such as depleting biomass; housing quality, deteriorating habitat etc.

12. A project document should interlaid include details about likely beneficiaries, cost benefit statement, potential for reliability, likely spin offs in terms of physical assets and financial growth, complementarity with other NGOs, institutional linkages etc.