In the present report on “urban poverty in patna ”,I have mentioned some of the shocking facts about urban poors and poverty in bihar especially in Patna . For the groundwork I went to the poverty stricken people in rajiv nagar ,kurji and patliputra colony (all locations are in patna) and interviewed them to gather the information about their problems in daily life and their life as urban poor .

2. Preface
In the present report on “urban poverty in patna ” ,
I have mentioned some of the shocking facts about urban
poors and poverty in bihar especially in Patna .
For the groundwork I went to the poverty stricken people in
rajiv nagar ,kurji and patliputra colony (all locations are in
patna) and interviewed them to gather the information about
their problems in daily life and their life as urban poor .
Ashay Jain
3rd Year Undergrad
IIT Patna

3. What is the matter ?
• Bihar is the third most populous state in India.
• It is also the poorest of all states with the
lowest per capita income and a massive 41.4% of
the population below the poverty line.
• The level of urbanization in Bihar is clearly much lower
(10.5%) than the national average of about 28%. Against
this, urban poverty is as high as 32.91% against the
national average of 23.62%.
(Source : The Changing Face of Urban Bihar)

4. Situation in Patna
• The majority of poor men and women can be found
working as daily wage labourer , domestic worker ,
sweeper , construction worker , rag picker, beggar .
• Other significant employments include load rickshaw
puller , passenger rickshaw puller, garage worker , shoe
polisher , street vendor .
• There are many more who are not employed anywhere.

5. Continued…
• Rural Bihar is home to some of the most poor in the cou-
ntry and although much of migration from rural Bihar is
out of the State, there is also migration to nearby urban
centres specially in the lean season. This seasonal
migration is mainly men from the poorest Scheduled and
Backward Caste households for 8‐9 months in a year, oft-
en for rickshaw pulling or, to work as construction labour.
(Source : State Slum Policy Draft , Gov. of Bihar , July 2010)

6. Load rickshaw pullers near kurji

7. Slums in patna
• The condition of slum dwellers is pitiable and marginal
and they are further marginalized by poor civic
conditions like meager accommodation, choked sewage
system, open defecation, open dumping of garbage.
• The human costs for the slums are alcohol abuse,
gambling, child labor, domestic violence, poor
socialization of children, and unhygienic living conditions.

8. Slum children near rajiv nagar

9. Welfare Policies
• Bihar State Slum Policy (2011): within the framework of ‘National slum
policy(2001)’ , Bihar government has developed its state slum policy for
the welfare of the slums and the communities living in them .
• Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) 2005 :
this mission was launched to provide reforms linked central assistance to
state and local governments for the development of urban infrastructure.
this mission has following schemes within it :
 Urban Infrastructure and Governance(UIG)
 Basic Services for Urban Poor(BSUP)
 Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme For Small and Medium Town
(UIDSSMT)
 Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP)

10. Case Study
• Rajiv Nagar :
 Bhagirath pandit and his family
consisting of about ten people
live in the small cottage beside
the railway track in rajiv nagar .
 Ancestral Occupation : Pottery
 Due to very low profit , stopped
making the pots ; but they can’t
remove pottery from their lives .
 They started purchasing pots
from Danapur and keeping them
outside their hut for sell.

11. Continued…
 But they were getting
almost nothing from their
kumhaari business. So,
the elders of the family
took some other kind of
jobs.
 Ladies started working as
maid-servant in the
nearby houses , while
men serve in Chaai
Gumti or, work as
labourer carrying bricks
on head .

12. Continued…
• Here is another family
living beside the railway
track in rajiv nagar.
• Shelter is totally
surrounded by Koodaa-
Kachra .
• Many people surviving
under this small shelter .
• No drainage arrangement
In the rainy season the
situation becomes
pathetic .

13. Continued…
• Women and her child in
their hut in rajiv nagar.
• No pakka floor and makaan.
• No sanitation.
• No proper drainage facility.
• No proper education for
children .
• Elders work either as
sweepers or, domestic
servants.

14. Case Study
• On the way from sabji -
market to kurji :
Child labour is also a serious
problem in patna . Many
children can be seen
washing plates and serving
in line-hotels and Dhabaa ,
washing vehicles , working
as domestic servant
,roaming and selling small
things on streets , Picking
the rags , polishing shoes ,
asking alms …

16. Old age people : working for survival
Man selling the bhoonjaa . Lady cutting the dried sugarcane
waste to use it in the upla.

17. Continued…
• Chhotan rai of sabji market
had been in the business of
selling the firewood for
more than ten years .
• He comes daily in the
morning purchasing the
firewood from the
woodcutters and sell them
Sitting down on jameen .
• Nearby people buy them to
use as fuel for food making.
Business somewhat
increases in winter .

18. What is required ?
• Policy-makers have to realise the fact that
given the rapidly growing population of the
urban poor, conventional planning in favour of
the privileged sections of city population has
to change.
• There must be recognition that slum
population are also bonafide citizens like any
other sections of the city population, and their
needs need priority.

20. References
• State slum policy draft (july 2010)
Urban Development and Housing Department , Government of Bihar .
• Economic survey (2010-11), Finance Department , Government of Bihar .
• Living rough : surviving city streets by Harsh Mander.
• City development plan for patna under JNNURM(Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission) , Draft Final Report , Urban Development
Department , Government of Bihar.
• “State policy to upgrade slums” , articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Patna, 22th Dec’2011 .
• “Low-Income Housing for Slum-dwellers” ,www.patnadaily.com ,
Wednesday, 21 December 2011 , 23:16.
• “Proposal to develop 56 slums in 28 Bihar towns”,
daily.bhaskar.com/article ,Bihar.