Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) for the slum dwellers and the urban poor envisages a ‘Slum-free
India’ through encouraging States/Union Territories to tackle the problem of slums in a
definitive manner. It calls for a multi-pronged approach focusing on:
• Bringing existing slums within the formal system and enabling them to avail of the
same level of basic amenities as the rest of the town;
• Redressing the failures of the formal system that lie behind the creation of slums;
• Tackling the shortages of urban land and housing that keep shelter out of reach of
the urban poor and force them to resort to extra-legal solutions in a bid to retain
their sources of livelihood and employment.