Origin of the Scheme :

Previously the scheme viz. NRY, PMIUPED and UBSP were being implemented in ULBs of the state with the assistance of the Government of India, thereafter the Government of India w.e.f 01.12.1997 decided to amalgamate these three schemes into one scheme namely SJSRY and the unspent amousts of these three schemes transferred as the opening balance of SJSRY.

Main objective of the scheme :

The scheme of SJSRY was launched in all the 49 Urban Local Bodies of the state to provide assistance to the 11734 eligible identified BPL families by providing employment to the unemployed and under-employed poor to setup self employment ventures, and imparting training in different trades or by providing wage employment to Urban poor by way of creating Urban infrastructure. The main components of the Scheme are as follows:

(I) Urban Wage Employment (UWEP) :
This component seeks to provide employment to the beneficiaries living below the poverty line within the respective jurisdictions of Urban Local Bodies by utlising their labour for construction of socially and economically useful urban public assets and infrastructure. The ratio of wage and material component is 40:60 but the urban poor rarely come forward to avail this facility.

(II) Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP) :

(a) Urban Self Employment Programme (Subsidy) :

      This programme have three distinct parts :

Assistance to individual urban poor beneficiaries for setting up gainfull self employment venture where the municipality has sound business potential, production and marketing of various industrial products having demand in the local market. The maximum unit cost under this scheme is Rs.50,000 and the subsidy is 15% i.e. Rs.7500/- and in case there are two partners then the subsidy would be Rs. 7500/- for each partner i.e. there would be two beneficiaries, each beneficiaries has to provide 5% margin i.e. Rs.2500/- .The self employment ventures are generally :-

Town Service requiring no skills :- Tea shops, Newspaper/ Magazine shop, ice cream vendors, milk vendors, pan/ cigarette shops etc.

Town service requiring special skills :- Repair of TV/ radio/ refrigerator/ typewriter/ cooler/ watch etc.

       But the time for uplifting the urban poor has not been fixed by the Govt. and it is also difficult to raise them above the poverty line within a year or two, because to establish the business as fruitful needs minimum three year.

(b) Urban Self Employment Programme(Training) :

Training is the second important aspect of the Urban Self Employment component. Under this component training is imparted to the beneficiaries trades where special skill is required.

The unit cost of training is Rs.2000 per trainee and it includes the cost, trainers fee etc. The total training period for skill up-gradation may vary from two to six months subject to a minimum of 300 hours for example :-

(c) DWCUA(Development of Women and Children in Urban Areas) (subsidy):

      Under this component special incentive will be provided to the Urban poor women, willing to setup self employment ventures in a group. The subsidy will be provided to those DWCUA groups having a minimum of 10 Urban poor women and the groups is entitled to a subsidy of Rs.1,25,000/- or 50% of the cost of project whichever is less.

Report on DWCUA scheme

The DWCUA scheme was started in Kurseong Municipality in the year 2003-04. For this five groups have already been formed each group consisting of ten members. 5 (five) Nos. of DWCUA cases were sanctioned for the year 2003-2004. During the year 2006-07 no new DWCUA group was formed.

Report on T & C Group

The scheme has been started in Kurseong Municipality since 2001. At present we have two CDS units. The Government has registered both the units. At present there are 1750 members in 95 groups of the T & C Societies. The progress of the scheme is quite encouraging. The yearly audit of the accounts of the Societies has also been done regularly. The details of the groups are given below:

Status of T&C Groups formed by the Kurseong Municipality