New Delhi, Jan 29, : Cabinet has given its approval to some modifications in the Centrally sponsored Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) scheme to improve the delivery and systems to the poor.

The SJSRY is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, on an all India basis, through States and UT Governments, since December 1, 1997.

This programme seeks to improve the livelihood of the urban population that lives below the poverty line by promoting gainful employment.

Modifications to the SJSRY scheme include a revised funding pattern for the scheme between Centre and States, enhanced project cost ceiling in the self-employment category and the improved average expenditure ceiling per trainee in the skill training of the urban poor component scheme.

The funding pattern for the scheme between Centre and the States, for special category States, (eight North East Region States and three other hilly States i. e. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), has been revised form 75:25 to 90:10.

For the beneficiary under the Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP) component of the Scheme, the education limit criteria of "not educated beyond 9th standard" has been now revised to no minimum or maximum educational qualification level for the purpose of eligibility of assistance.

In the self-employment (individual category), the project cost ceiling has been enhanced to Rs. 2 lakhs from the existing Rs. 50,000 and the subsidy has also been enhanced to 25 percent of the project cost from the existing 15 percent of the project cost.

For the group enterprises set up by urban poor women, the subsidy has been made as 35 percent of the project cost or Rs. 3,00,000 or Rs. 60,000 per member of the Group, whichever is less. The minimum number required to form a women group has been reduced from
10 to 5. The revolving fund entitlement per member has also been enhanced from the existing Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000.

The Skill Training of the Urban poor component has been restructured and quality skill training will be provided to the urban poor linking it with certification, imparted preferably on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with the involvement of reputed institutions like IITs, NITs, Poly-techniques. The average expenditure ceiling per trainee has been enhanced from Rs. 2,600 to Rs. 10,000.

In the last change, SJSRY has retained the 3 percent of the total Scheme allocation at the Central level for special innovative projects to be under taken to implement a time-bound targeting to bring a specific number of BPL families above the poverty line through self-employment or skill development.

These modified guidelines are in the process of being issued by the Ministry of Housing & and Urban Poverty Alleviation. (ANI)