Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government and SELCO Foundation on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen inclusive and sustainable development in six southern districts of the state, with a focus on livelihoods, healthcare, clean energy and climate-resilient development.
The collaboration will initially cover Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri and seek to strengthen existing government schemes through technical expertise, innovation, capacity building, technology and implementation support.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Secretary Anu Garg by Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Girish S.N., and SELCO Foundation Chief Finance Officer V.K. Joby.
The partnership will focus on sustainable livelihoods and local economic development, healthcare and nutrition, clean energy, climate resilience, tribal knowledge and innovation, skill development and entrepreneurship. It will also support farmers, women, SHGs, FPOs, youth, artisans, tribal communities, persons with disabilities and rural micro-entrepreneurs through skills, productive-use technologies, access to finance, government schemes, market linkages and value addition.
A key component will be the proposed SEVA Hubs (Centres for Expertise and Enablers for Rural Transformation), which will serve as locally anchored platforms for identifying local needs, programme design, convergence, capacity building, technology and finance access, implementation support and scaling up successful initiatives.
The five-year MoU will be implemented in coordination with the Panchayati Raj, Health and other relevant departments and district administrations, with specific projects to be developed separately based on requirements.
Former NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam and SELCO Foundation founder Harish Hande participated virtually in the meeting.
Garg said prosperity, well-being and equity are the three pillars of the state’s vision for Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047, stressing that healthy human resources, equal opportunities and inclusive development are essential for achieving prosperity.
She said the MoU would help accelerate inclusive and sustainable development in southern Odisha and directed that progress of related programmes under the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department be reviewed every month. Review meetings at the Chief Secretary’s level will be held twice a year, she said.
