Odisha H&UD Dept Signs MoU for Capacity Building of MUKTA Programme

Bhubaneswar: Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Government of Odisha has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 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&UD Department and Manvita Baradi, Director, UMC.

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, according to a press release issued by the H&UDD.

It may be mentioned here that during the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic, to provide immediate employment opportunities to 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 Chief Minister of Odisha 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 an unprecedented opportunity to 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 the implementation of MUKTA. Strengthening the system and building capacities will help them participate in the MUKTA program in identifying and implementing various community projects as Community Contractors.