State sanctions Rs 225 crore for 36 ULBs

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Saturday sanctioned Rs 225.5 crore in favour of 36 urban local bodies (ULBs) in 10 districts under the Mukhya Mantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan (Mukta) for the current financial year. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik approved the funds for the ULBs of Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Balangir, Subarnapur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Deogarh districts under the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), northern division.
It is the third and last phase of sanction for ULBs under the Mukta scheme. So far, the state has sanctioned Rs 833.2 crore in three phases covering all 115 ULBs in the 30 districts. Last week, the government sanctioned Rs 183.8 crore in the second phase for 42 ULBs covering 10 districts of RDC, southern division.
The Mukta scheme was launched on April 18, 2020, to create immediate and mass employment opportunities for the urban poor, informal and migrant labourers while addressing the needs of creation of climate resilient, cost-effective sustainable and replicable community assets by implementing labour-intensive public works across 115 ULBs.
All these 36 ULBs in the last phase have developed ward-wise annual action plans under this scheme through a participatory process involving local people and key stakeholders. These action plans have been screened at the department-level before the approval of the chief minister. These projects will be executed directly by the Mission Shakti groups, said the statement from the chief minister's office.
The approved projects under Mukta scheme were climate resilient work, which includes creation of civic amenities (mini park, open air gymnasium, , walking track, loo and vending zones), development of open spaces, water body development, construction of multi-purpose community centres, wall painting, city beautification and other labour-oriented works, said the official statement. Mukta is a community-driven scheme tailor-made for community-based organisations like women self-help groups and slum dwellers' associations.