Slum-free India in 5 years: Govt

The government on Thursday said it wants to make the country free of slums in next five years through a housing scheme for urban poor.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy said a housing scheme for the urban poor has been envisaged to help people living in slums get their own houses.

He said the absolute number of urban poor has increased between 1993-94 and 2004-05 from 76.34 million to 80.80 million due to migration from rural areas.