BHUBANESWAR: The Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan (MUKTA) of the state government has been selected as one of the top five finalists for the 2021-22 WRI Ross Centre Prize, a global award celebrating and spotlighting transformative changes in urban areas.
The prize recognizes MUKTA’s swift action to create mass employment and infrastructure for the urban poor during the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme was selected from 260 submissions from 155 cities in 65 countries.
“It is a proud moment for the housing and urban development department as the MUKTA scheme has been acknowledged as a model that serves as a lighthouse for the global urban community to strive for excellence in cities worldwide,” said an official statement.
Under MUKTA, around 28,500 projects at an investment of Rs 290 crore have been implemented across 114 civic bodies. More than 40 lakh workdays have been generated directly benefiting around 6 lakh urban poor and migrant labourers, of whom about 40% are women beneficiaries, said the statement.
Engagement of Mission Shakti groups (MSG) and slum dweller associations (SDA) in MUKTA has been accorded highest priority by the state government.
Based on the success and milestones achieved coupled with popular response from the ground, MUKTA has now been made a permanent scheme with enhanced budgetary allocations from the current year. The state government has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore for providing meaningful employment to the urban poor and creation of climate resilient and sustainable community assets across all urban local bodies.
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