BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday approved Rs 183.81 crore for 42 urban local bodies (ULBs) under Mukhya Mantri Karma Tatpara Abhijan (MUKTA) scheme in 10 districts in the second phase for 2023-24.
All ULBs have developed ward-wise annual action plans through a participatory process involving local citizens and key stakeholders. As per the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), all the projects are demand-driven, technically feasible and environmentally sustainable.
The CMO said the action plans have been screened at the department level before approval by the chief minister. The projects to be taken up under MUKTA will be executed directly by Mission Shakti groups as implementing agency. The districts which are covered in the second phase are Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kandhamal and Boudh.
The projects approved under MUKTA are climate resilient which include the creation of civic amenities like mini park, open-air gymnasium, child play station, playground, walking track and vending zones. Besides, the development of open space and waterbodies, construction of multi-purpose community centres, wall painting, city beautification and other labour-oriented works will also be taken up under the scheme.
MUKTA was launched by the chief minister on April 18, 2020 to create rapid, immediate and mass employment opportunities for urban poor and migrant labourers affected by Covid-19 pandemic. 5T secretary VK Pandian held discussions with public representatives of the 42 ULBs on June 9 regarding the implementation of the project.
As per the CMO, MUKTA adopts a community-driven, participatory and bottom-up approach ensuring transparency and accountability during the entire stage of project implementation. It is a community-driven scheme tailor-made for community-based organisations (CBOs) such as women self-help groups (SHGs) and slum dwellers associations (SDAs). In the third phase, 36 ULBs of the remaining 10 districts will be covered.