Understanding the Contribution of the BSUP (JNNURM) to Inclusive Cities in India

Abstract

The Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) sub-Mission of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) sought to address the needs of some of the lowest-income and most vulnerable urban dwellers in Indian cities. The promise was that these residents would receive 'a garland of 7 entitlements' -security of tenure, affordable housing, water, sanitation, health, education and social security in low-income settlements in the 63 Mission cities. We researched the outcomes of the BSUP in five Indian cities (Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Pune and Visakhapatnam), which were selected because of their diversity. They presented a wide range of socio-economic contexts and economic development and also differed in the nature and extent of civil society involvement in BSUP programming.The research findings analysed outcomes of the BSUP interventions and addressed the significance of State capacities, commitments and vision for urban development for these outcomes. The analysis then considered the 'drivers of capacity, commitment and vision'. The vision (or idea) of urban development emerged as a significant indicator of outcomes. In practice, the BSUP became a housing programme. The extent to which informal settlement upgrading was preferred over resettlement and site redevelopment with the construction of medium-rise apartments made a significant difference to the satisfaction of residents. Also important, and particularly exemplified by experiences in Pune, was willingness to work with civil society organisations, incorporating their expertise and skills. However, these were not present in all cities. Residents in Bhopal and Visakhapatnam may face particular affordability challenges due to high levels of debt incurred through participation in the BSUP.In summary, BSUP experiences and outcomes provide evidence of the significance of vision capacity and commitment. While in part these are determined by levels of economic and institutional development, they are also influenced by government willingness to collaborate with civil society agencies with appropriate experiences and skills.

Notes on a Southern urban practice

“…An assessment of the Indian government’s Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) programme”, Environment and Urbanization Vol 25, No 1, pages 177–188. For recent work on housing policy in India specifically, see Burra, S, D Mitlin and G Menon with I Agarwal, P Banarse, S Gimonkar, M Lobo, S Patel, V Rao and M Waghmare (2018), “Understanding the contribution of the BSUP (JNNURM) to inclusive cities in India”, Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) Working Paper No 97, University of Manchester, Manchester, available at http://www.effective-states.org/working-paper-97/. See also Bhan, G (2018), “Housing, common sense and urban policy in India”, in H Bhurte and A Bhide (editors), Urban Parallax Policy and the City in Contemporary India , Yoda Press, New Delhi.…”

The Politics of Shelter: Understanding Outcomes in Three African Cities

“…An initial draft of the paper was shared with city-based and UK researchers and refined, following their inputs. The discussion has also been informed by my involvement in two earlier studies of shelter outcomes and government urban poverty programming in urban India and Uganda, supported by the DFID-funded research centre on Effective States and Inclusive Development (Burra et al 2018;King and Kasaija 2018). The research has had a city focus, with limited interviewing of national government officials and politicians.…”

State-Movement Partnership in Uganda: Co-Producing an Enabling Environment for Urban Poverty Reduction?

“…Watson (2014) finds the 'strength, reliability and form of civil society', state devolution, and the transnational demonstration of alternatives to be critical. Similarly, in India, Burra et al (2018) find that levels of devolution, levels of local income and wealth, and civil society capacity have been key to increasing the extent to which co-produced housing developments have generated satisfactory solutions for the urban poor. Banana et al (2015) find that ensuring quality, accessibility and affordability requires resources to be identified that can subsidise services and secure the replication of effective models of delivery at scale.…”

“…Our conceptual framing has been guided by research into settlement transformation in India, which examined the dynamics of state vision, commitment and capacity within the Basic Services for the Urban Poor sub-mission of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Burra et al, 2018). Conceptually, we were concerned to understand under what conditions more progressive ideas about inclusive urban development and poverty reduction emerge, what shapes state commitment to delivering inclusive development and urban poverty reduction, and what capacities enable states to contribute to such outcomes, including a particular interest in the role of civil society within these dynamics.…”