Bhubaneswar: Odisha has launched Project ‘BLESS’, a three-year flagship initiative aimed at curbing distress migration by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, enhancing skills and promoting entrepreneurship among vulnerable rural families across the state. The project will be implemented by the Mission Shakti department in collaboration with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) and the NSE Foundation. Project BLESS will be rolled out in 69 blocks across eight migration-prone districts—Bolangir, Badagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Kandhamala, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. The initiative is expected to benefit nearly 8.81 lakh rural families and 86,468 Self-Help Groups (SHGs). As part of the project, around 550 Jeevika Sakhis selected from SHGs will spearhead grassroots implementation through SHGs, Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) and Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs).
A technology-driven household vulnerability assessment will be conducted through a mobile application to identify families at risk of distress migration. Based on the findings, family-specific livelihood plans will be prepared, linking beneficiaries with income-generating opportunities, market-oriented skill development programmes, credit facilities and government welfare schemes. The project will also focus on strengthening community institutions, developing digital market platforms and extending support services to migrant workers at their destination workplaces. For families compelled to migrate despite these interventions, Project BLESS will facilitate access to fair wages, legal assistance and social security benefits, ensuring safer and more dignified migration.
The Mission Shakti department Thursday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CRISP and the NSE Foundation to implement the project. The MoU was signed at Lok Seva Bhawan in the presence of Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Mission Shakti Secretary Manasi Nimbhal. Project BLESS seeks to identify vulnerable families before they leave their villages and connect them with sustainable livelihood opportunities, financial services, skill development programmes and government welfare schemes. By addressing the root causes of distress migration, the initiative aims to create long-term economic resilience in rural areas. The project will also ensure uninterrupted access to nutrition, healthcare and pre-primary education for children of migrant families while strengthening SHGs and their federations to promote women’s economic empowerment.
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