BHUBANESWAR: After involving self help groups (SHGs) in managing the Aahar Centres, septage management plant and city beautification and development project, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to engage them to manage ward offices here.
The move is intended at encouraging community participation in urban governance and effective functioning of the ward offices, said an official from the corporation. BMC officials said the Mission Shakti SHGs will be picked for this project, purely on voluntary basis with incentives.
Moreover, the corporation will sign MoU with the selected Mission Shakti SHGs and thoroughly train their members in managing the ward offices and assist the ward officer.
With the civic body having 67 wards, the number of Mission Shakti SHGs to be roped in for the purpose will be decided after expressions of interest are received from the stakeholders concerned before January end, an official said.
After selection, he said, one of the members of the selected SHGs will be engaged as ward coordinator and will be tasked with the responsibility of managing the ward office primarily for the dissemination of information regarding various schemes and programmes.
Facilitating collection of various user charges including water, property, trade licence fees and other pending taxes and dues will also be the responsibility of the SHGs.
The selected Mission Shakti SHGs will also assist in organising periodical ward level meeting and special meetings and will also mobilise the community for their awareness and active participation in urban governance.
The SHGs engaged will be provided an incentive of Rs 12,000 for which Rs 10,000 honorarium will be for the ward coordinator, while Rs 2,000 will be given as service fee.