BHUBANESWAR: The Mission Shakti department on Thursday signed a tripartite MoU with the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) and the NSE Foundation to implement ‘Project BLESS’, a three-year initiative aimed at preventing distress migration by strengthening livelihood opportunities, skill development and entrepreneurship among vulnerable rural families.
Official sources said the initiative aims to address the root causes of distress migration by creating long-term livelihood opportunities in rural areas.
Under Project BLESS, families vulnerable to migration will be identified and they will be connected with sustainable livelihood opportunities, skill development assistance, financial services and government welfare schemes.
The project will cover 69 blocks across eight districts, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada, benefitting around 8.81 lakh rural families and 86,468 self-help groups (SHGs).
The project will be implemented by around 550 Jeevika Sakhis selected from SHGs at the grassroots level. The programme will be executed through SHGs, Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) and Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs).
According to the MoU, under the project, a mobile application-based vulnerability assessment will be conducted at the household level. The initiative will also focus on strengthening community institutions, preparing family-specific livelihood plans, providing market-driven skill development training, developing digital market platforms and extending support services for migrant workers at destination locations.
The initiative will also ensure continuity of nutrition, healthcare and pre-primary education services for children of migrant families while further strengthening SHGs and their federations to enhance women’s economic empowerment.
The MoU was signed at Lok Seva Bhawan in the presence of chief secretary Anu Garg and Mission Shakti Secretary Manasi Nimbhal. The project will be implemented in collaboration with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM).