Bhubaneswar: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Housing & Urban Development Department and Urban Management Centre to provide Technical Support for Capacity Building of Odisha’s flagship program “Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyaan” (MUKTA}.
The MoU was signed virtually by G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, H & UDD and Manvita Baradi, Director, UMC on last Monday .
The support will be through a Technical Support Unit to support all ULB officials , Mission Shakti Groups, Slum Development Associations and other stakeholders involved in the MUKTA ecosystem and will focus on strengthening the system and building capacities of mission shakti groups to participate in MUKTA program in identifying and implementing various community projects as Community Contractors. Emphasis will be given on asset creation that will ensure sustainable livelihoods for the mission shakti groups as well as create wage employment opportunities for the urban poor.
It may be mentioned here that during the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic, to provide immediate employment opportunities to the daily wage seekers the Government of Odisha had launched the Urban Wage Employment Initiative (UWEI) across 114 ULBs in Odisha. Subsequently, it converted and into a flagship programme called Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyaan (MUKTA) ,launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister and is now implemented across 115 ULBs of the state. The aim of the programme is to provide wage employment opportunities to the urban poor, the wage seekers, through creation of community assets.
The state is pioneering the community partnership model, which provides unprecedented opportunity to the community based organisations such as Mission Shakti Groups (MSG), Transgender Groups(TG) and Slum Dwellers Associations (SDAs) to work as “community contractors” in the implementation of MUKTA.
With UMC’s technical support, the knowledge, skills and capacities of MSGs/SDAs will be strengthened to be effective partners in implementation of MUKTA. Strengthening system and building capacities will help them participate in the MUKTA program in identifying and implementing various community projects as Community Contractors.
Among others Sri Sarada Prasad Panda, Joint Secretary and Project Director, State Urban Development Agency, who is also the State Nodal Officer for MUKTA and other departmental Officers were present during the MoU signing .