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We, at South Goa Public Interest Action Group 
(SGPIAG) a registered NGO based in Margao,Salcete,
South Goa District ,with jurisdiction, at present,
over the entire South Goa District, wish to invite the
kind attention of all NGO's and well meaning citizens
of Goa India to a "Draft National Rural Housing and
Habitat Policy 2006 " a proposal to be put up to the
Government of India Facilitated by South Asia Regional
Knowledge Platform. 

The draft was  earlier developed at the workshop held
at New Delhi on 23rd February 2006

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
A house with basic amenities of water, sanitation and
domestic energy, offering a sense of privacy, safety
and dignity is the right of every individual in
society. 

Facilities of education, health and child care, and
special opportunities for income generation are
essential to the growth and well being of a productive
society, and form a part of human habitat.

It is the responsibility of a society to ensure that
basic human rights and equity of opportunities for
growth are available to all citizens. 

As a nation, we give our selves “policies” to create
conditions that cause the realisation of rights and
equitable access to
opportunities for all.

The National Habitat Policy over the decades, has
sought to achieve the aim of “adequate habitat
(shelter) for all”. It has undergone many revisions to
suit national priorities and changing macro - social
and economic conditions. 

The last National Habitat Policy of 1998, although
comprehensive, could not provide adequate direction
especially to rural areas in the absence of a focus on
the distinct concerns and needs of these areas. 

The new ‘Draft National Urban Housing and Habitat
Policy’ attempts to tackle urban habitat issues. The
country now needs a ‘Rural Housing and Habitat Policy’
based on the “special character”, priorities and
potential of rural India in order that Rural Habitat
concerns are adequately and realistically addressed.
Considering its backward – forward linkages to the
overall economy, it is essential that rural habitat
development be seen in the context of rural poverty
alleviation. 

The Bharat Nirman Program and the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) are steps in this
direction. 

In order that positive movements are reinforced and
“people’s” investments are harnessed towards an
integrated rural development process, it is essential
that we give ourselves a National Rural Habitat Policy
that will promote conditions to facilitate the
creation of sustainable habitat and livelihood in
rural areas. 

basin-South Asia Regional Knowledge Platform
(basin-SA) has undertaken a small initiative to bring
together ideas, opinions and successful methodologies
of different stakeholders to inform the development of
the ‘National Rural Housing and Habitat Policy’. The
dialogue was triggered by research and documentation
supported by the Building and Social Housing
Foundation, UK and Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation. 

In this process, intensive research and consultations
with practitioners and policy makers across the
country
were carried out to form an understanding of rural
conditions, strengths, needs and potential for large
scale development of habitat and livelihoods in rural
areas. 

The process resulted in the development of a
“Framework for a Rural Habitat Policy for
India” and has further motivated basin-SA to initiate
a country wide process of engaging different
stakeholders for developing a ---draft of the Rural
Habitat Policy – as it should be and proposing it to
the Government of India. 

As a first step, a consultation was organised on 23rd
February 2006 in New Delhi by Akhil Bhartiya Samaj
Sewa Sansthan, facilitated by basin-SA and supported
by
DFID’s Poorest Areas Civil Society Program. 

The consultation brought together NGOs, bankers and
government functionaries to discuss, debate and
propose clauses for the policy document   This
document is the first draft of the policy developed
through this process to serve as a trigger for
discussion on policy clauses and provisions with a
wider audience. 

It draws heavily from the ‘Draft National Urban
Housing and Habitat Policy’ (2005) and attempts to
connect the policy on urban areas with rural areas. 

The process of policy development is now being taken
to all the States in the country for consultation.
Inputs from each State Level Consultation will be
incorporated at each step as the process continues, to
culminate as ‘Final Draft of the Rural Habitat Policy
for India’ - a proposal to the Government by the
people of India.

Goa was represented by our NGO at the third meet
(earlier two were held in Jarkhand and Orrisa the next
will be held in MP and final document prepared by
April 2007 ) seminar held at Y B Chavan Institute
Baner Road Pune on 9th September, 2006  by our two
representatives Mr Godfrey Gonsalves and Mr L
Fernandes.

The "gaunkary" system as prevalent in Goa was
discussed as a viable model to form rural communities
besides several other suggestions were made and well
received by the participants who came from Maharashtra
and Daman and Diu and evinced keen interests in these
institutions (gunkaries).  Book written by Dr Olivinho
Gomes on the gaunkaries (Communidades) was also
circulted to the various delegates.

Interestingly the Director,  Ministry of Rural
Development,  Govt of India,  Mr V L V S S Subba Rao 
I.E.S who interacted with our representatives was
presented a summary document of the "gaunkaries" and
he evinced keen interest in the same and would depute
an official to Goa to study the same.

We at SGPIAG now desire to make available the Draft
"Draft National Rural Housing and Habitat Policy 2006
"  to all those desirous, on request via email or post
or hand delivery readers, NGOs and other well meaning
citizens  to criticise, comment and propose changes or
additions to this document, and share the same with us
or mail your valued views directly to basin-SA
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 

Let us use this process to help the government develop
a Rural Housing and Habitat Policy that we feel –
should be.









For SOUTH GOA PUBLIC INTEREST ACTION GROUP 
Regd No 171/GOA/2000 dt 12.12.2000
sd/- 
TERENCE MAZARELO
PRESIDENT (SGPIAG)
1st Flr Benlix Bldg Opp Fatima Convent Margao Goa India
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
weblink http://mumbai.sancharnet.in/manojnd
FAX +91 832 2712430
HELPLINE (24 hrs) 9822158584
Tel +91 832 2731373 (O)
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOA/INDIA  
visit:www.goidirectory.nic.in,www.goagovt.nic.in


                
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