Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked all district collectors to facilitate bank linkage to Mission Shakti Groups (MSGs) engaged in projects sanctioned under Mukhya Mantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan (MUKTA).
To streamline the execution of MUKTA projects sanctioned in 2023-24, the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has written a letter to collectors, municipal commissioners, and executive officers of different Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), in this regard.
The state government has announced interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for Mission Shakti Groups (MSG) for the socio-economic empowerment of women self-help groups (SHGs) in the state.
“It is requested to impress upon all the officials concerned of 115 ULBs for ensuring bank linkage of all MSGs, who have been given work orders for the execution of MUKTA projects as implementing agency for 2023-24,” read the letter sent on Friday.
The collectors and ULB officials have been asked to organise a special drive involving MSGs and bankers to facilitate the sanction of bank loans on the spot and expedite the credit. They were also urged to create awareness of interest subvention benefits among the SHG members.
However, the selected Mission Shakti Groups executing MUKTA projects must not be bank defaulters, the department said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the MUKTA scheme in April 2020 with a focus on reducing economic vulnerabilities and enhancing the resilience of the urban poor and migrant labourers.
PTI