The outbreak has affected the entire nation due to the nationwide lockdowns for several weeks and various restrictions on the work premises. It does not only hit the economy adversely but also the poor strata of the society. Such households were deprived of any work during this time and hence struggled for their survival. Amidst this lethal virus pandemic, the Odisha government initiated a programme, called Urban Wage Employment Initiative to help the poverty-stricken labourers, workers and daily wagers. Read more about the Odisha Urban Wage Employment Scheme in the article below. Every aspect of the mentioned programme has been covered here.
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Odisha Urban Wage Employment Initiative
The fatal coronavirus has devastated the lives of the people and caused a gigantic economic depression around the globe. The impoverished and poverty-stricken households were the worst affected. Daily wagers and labourers had no source of income amidst the lockdown and hence fought for their survival every day. Odisha government realized the intensity of the situation and hence instituted UWEI, Urban Wage Employment Initiative across the state.
The programme provided employment opportunities to the labour class from 20th April 2020 till September 2020. It included work, such as sanitation drives, construction of roads and toilets, recovering water bodies, cleaning work, development of public parks, playgrounds, community centres, etc. The employed workers were paid every week which ensured financial stability.
MGNREGS, Mahatma Gandhi Rural National Employment Guarantee scheme already existed to help the rural poor across the country, but there was no such scheme for the urban poor. Thus, CM Naveen Patnaik launched this scheme.
The scheme is regulated under the authorities of the concerned Municipal Corporation. Odisha government collaborated with Mission Shakti Department so as to bring about the best results. Both the authorities worked together to benefit the daily wagers in the urban areas and provide them proper livelihood earning occupations.
MUKTA, abbreviated for Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan will be launched soon to create employment opportunities for the urban poor and unemployed labourers and workers for the year 2023.
An Overview Odisha Urban Wage Employment Scheme 2024
| Article Category | Odisha Govt Scheme |
| Scheme Name | UWEI, Urban Wage Employment Initiative |
| Launched by | CM, Naveen Patnaik |
| Beneficiaries | Daily wagers, labourers and workers |
| Objective | To provide occupations to the beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Benefits | Economical support |
| Official Website | Click here |
Benefits
The program primarily focused on helping the poor labor class and daily wagers by employing them for various occupations across the state, such as sanitation and cleanliness drives, construction of roads, planting trees, etc. The scheme assisted the beneficiaries and their families in many ways. Some of its significant advantages and benefits are covered in the following list.
- Proper jobs for the daily wagers and labourers of the Odisha state.
- Economical support amidst the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
- Paid for every week’s work.
- The payment had been directly credited to the beneficiaries bank accounts.
- The minimum wage as decided by the authorities is Rs. 286.
Implementation of the Urban Wage Employment Scheme
- Odisha Urban Wage Employment Programme has been implemented in association with the Mission Shakti Department. The Department and the respective ULB Odisha effectively implemented the scheme all over the state.
- A total budget of Rs. 100 crore was set to cover 4.5 lakh families through the programme.
- The 114 Urban Local Bodies were included for the scheme benefits.
- Further, the payment was directly transferred to the workers’ bank accounts at the end of every week. With this, the workers were secured about the finances in the house.
- The scheme is 100% funded by the state and is finances from the UNNATI and Jaga schemes are utilized.
- Some of the women SHGs also helped to execute the programme.
Odisha Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana
Eligibility Criteria and Documents Required
Odisha UWEI is applicable for the daily wagers, workers and labourers of the Odisha state only who are currently unemployed. To prove their eligibility, they must possess the following documents.
- Aadhaar Card
- Proof of Residence
- Labour Card, if possessed
How to apply for Odisha UWEI?
Currently, no information in regard with the application procedure for Odisha Urban Wage Employment Initiative have been shared by the state authorities. The authorities themselves identified the beneficiaries to extend the scheme benefits with the help from the district and ULB officers.
Important Links
| Odisha Govt. Portal | Click here |
| Odisha UWEI Official Website | *Click here |
| Apply Online | *Click here |
| Other Odisha Govt. Schemes | Click here |
Frequently Asked Questions
The prime focus of the UWEI Odisha was to generate employment opportunities to the urban poor of the state.
People are employed for the labour-incentive jobs like sanitation drives, maintenance of drains, planting trees, development of water bodies, community centres, public parks; construction of public urinals, rainwater harvesting structures, roads, etc.
Mission Shakti is a women empowerment initiative to help the women to establish Self Help Groups and become self-sufficient.
Yes, the central government offers wage-employment to the poor rural households under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
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