Poverty in India has been a part of the policy debate right from the First Plan Period with the primary focus being on agriculture and rural development. Urban development was tackled through a focus on industry. While social services such as health and education provided for the urban population, there remained a concerted focus on rural India in the Five Year Plans; urban poverty was not recognized as a concern in the initial plan periods. The change towards an urban focus is seen from the VIIth Plan Period onwards (1985-1990) with attention to infrastructure, environmental improvement (slum upgrading) and livelihood promotion. Subsequent plans have steadily increased the allocation for urban development and urban poverty alleviation. Most significant is the recent emphasis on urban renewal evidenced through the allocation under JNNURM in the 10th Five Year plan which has continued since then. JNNURM is the first attempt at a comprehensive package for development and poverty alleviation in urban India, recognizing the importance of cities as engines of economic growth. However, being the first such attempt of its kind, the review of its performance has been mixed and much more effort and commitment is needed in this regard. Although budgetary allocations for urban development have risen substantially, these do not compare with the allocation for schemes and interventions for rural India. The per capita expenditure on the urban sector at Rs. 1,566.00 is significantly lower than the per capita expenditure in the rural sector, which is Rs. 7,433.00 for the current plan period.