BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to generate employment for labourers and daily wage earners, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will execute projects worth Rs 10 crore under the newly launched Urban Wage Employment Initiative (UWEI).
City Engineer DS Mohapatra said the projects will be carried out in municipal wards for which ward level committees will be formed involving self-help groups (SHGs) to suggest labour-intensive works to generate more employment for the daily wage earners sitting idle for the last two months due to lockdown.
The proposed plans will be ascertained by the authorities and engineers to check their feasibility and work will commence after finalisation of the ward level project list. Projects less than Rs one lakh will be implemented with the help of SHGs or Slum Development Units selected as partner by the civic body, while projects exceeding Rs one lakh will be executed through engineers under the supervision of the SHG or Slum Committee.
Officials said as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Housing and Urban Development department, preference will be given to local labourers and if they are not available in adequate number, workers from nearby wards will be engaged for the works. Projects like desilting of drains, cleaning of water bodies, clearing of construction/demolition waste, renovation of parks, playgrounds and open spaces, plantation drives, toilet construction or projects having requirement of more manpower will be implemented, BMC officials said.
Mohapatra said implementation of the programme launched last month has been delayed due to Covid-19. Efforts are on to start the programme by the beginning of June. The initiative, aimed at uplifting the economically backward sections living in urban areas, will be implemented across 114 urban local bodies, he added.