Odisha govt to provide work to urban daily wage labourers, sanctions Rs 100 crore

The Odisha government on Saturday announced the 'Urban Wage Employment Initiative' and sanctioned Rs 100 crore to provide relief to daily wage labourers facing hardship amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

The Urban Wage Employment Initiative is a livelihood opportunity programme for economically weaker sections in urban areas.

According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), this initiative starting from April will continue till September and benefit around 4.5 lakh poor families in 114 urban local body areas.

With no savings and living on their daily incomes, daily wage workers are one of the worse-affected section of the society due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Under this initiative, daily wage labourers in urban areas will be given work opportunities for six months and they will be engaged in several labour intensive works of the government such as station, open space development, stormwater drainage, rainwater harvesting, increase in green cover and beautification, public toilets construction etc.

Local artists will also be engaged in different art-related work under this initiative, the statement said. The wage of the people engaged in work under this initiative will be transferred in their accounts on a weekly basis.

According to the housing and urban development department, all urban local bodies will ensure the implementation of lockdown guidelines including social distancing, use of face masks, prohibition on gathering, use of stizers and outer required things.

( With inputs from ANI )

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