Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday launched a new initiate called ‘Sahajog’ with an aim to support the urban poor and provide them with the benefits of existing welfare schemes smoothly.
Unveiled by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, the initiative will initially be implemented in 44 municipalities across eight districts of the state.
Officials said that the first phase of ‘Sahajog’ will cover municipalities in the districts of Khordha, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Kendujhar, and Mayurbhanj.
The initiative seeks to streamline access to 13 welfare schemes from eight departments, bringing them under one umbrella. Key schemes to be integrated include the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ayushman Bharat Card, differently-abled identity card, Subhadra Yojana, labour card, Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, and Sukanya Yojana.
The Minister said that more schemes will be included in the programme in the near future for the benefit of the urban poor.
With the help of Tata Foundation Trust, frontline workers will conduct door-to-door surveys in the selected municipal areas to identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate their access to Government schemes. The ‘Sahajog’ initiative will be conducted over a two-month period starting today.
