Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday launched the third phase of its state-level skill development training programme for Community Support Staff under the Mission Shakti Department, with around 4,500 personnel from all 30 districts set to undergo capacity-building training between July and September 2026.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida inaugurated the programme at Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
The inaugural session was attended by 190 Community Support Staff from Nimapada and Gop blocks of Puri district. On the occasion, Parida distributed identity cards to seven Community Support Staff members from the two blocks.
Officials said identity cards would be issued in phases to all 62,341 Community Support Staff working under Mission Shakti across the state. The beneficiaries include Community Resource Persons, Master Book Keepers, Bank Mitras, Krushi Mitras, Prani Mitras and Livelihood Support Persons.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister said the state government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Lakhpati Didi’ campaign and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, is prioritising the economic empowerment of women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
She said the government aims to create more “Lakhpati Didis”, “Mahalakshmi Didis” and “Crorepati Didis” by strengthening SHGs and making their members financially self-reliant.
Parida described Community Support Staff as the backbone of Mission Shakti, saying their leadership, efficiency and grassroots engagement would play a crucial role in expanding women’s entrepreneurship and accelerating the state’s women empowerment initiatives.
The training programme will cover strengthening community-based organisations, livelihood promotion, entrepreneurship development, financial inclusion, digital empowerment, implementation of government schemes and improving service delivery at the grassroots level through expert-led sessions.
Mission Shakti Director Dr. Monika Priyadarshini delivered the welcome address, while Additional Secretary Namrata Modi proposed the vote of thanks. Senior officials of the department were present at the inaugural programme.
