Income and Consumption Pattern in the Slum Area of Siliguri Municipal Corporation: A Comparative Study of Inner and Outer Slum Dwellers

Slum areas are basically the urban areas which are deprived of various amenities and necessities required for the well-being of its residents. The sufferings of the inhabitants of these areas are mainly in three broad aspects - physical, social and economic. The paper portrays the economic situation of the slum dwellers of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) area of West Bengal and its impact on the living conditions of slum dwellers of this area. The income and consumption pattern of the slum households of this area is presented in the paper. In order to get a better picture of the living conditions of the slum dwellers, the total slum area of SMC has been divided into inner slum and outer slum and an attempt has been made to find out whether the inner slum dwellers or the outer slum dwellers have better living conditions.