Centre will create job opportunities for the nearly 100 million urban poor.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said in New Delhi yesterday that Government has proposed a National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) to address issues related to urban poverty like skill upgradation, entrepreneurship development and providing credit at affordable rates.

She said the mission, to be launched in the 12th Five Year Plan, will replace the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY) started in 1997.

The Minister said that the NULM will help the urban poor in utilising the opportunities of wage employment and self employment created by economic growth in the urban areas.

She added that all programmes and policies for the poor in urban areas will be converged under the NULM so that benefits can reach the targeted section.

The Minister said, a concept paper of the NULM has already been circulated which envisages a particular model of implementation, funding of various activities and their inter-se allocation. She said, however, the concept paper should not be seen as something final or binding.