Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced about launching a new scheme—"Lakshapati Didi Sahayika Yojana -- aiming to provide grants to Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs) ensuring financial support for the remuneration of Community Support Staff (CSS) in the state.

While making the announcement in the state assembly on Friday, CM Majhi said that 62,000 CSS members will be benefitted through the launching of this new scheme.

“Today, I am announcing a new scheme - 'Lakshapati Didi Sahayika Yojana'. Under this initiative, the government will provide financial support for the remuneration of community support staff by offering grants to GPLFs. This decision will benefit over 62,000 community support staff members, ensuring they receive their salaries starting from April 2024,” CM Majhi announced in the Odisha Assembly on Friday.

The Chief Minister in his statement said that Odisha Livelihood Mission, operating under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, has been active since April 1, 2012.

This initiative aims to improve the livelihood of rural people by forming self-help groups (SHGs) and involving women from rural households.

These groups are further strengthened and organized at the village and panchayat levels to provide them various socio-economic support.

CM Majhi noted that to empower SHGs, Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), and Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs), the Community Support Staff were appointed at the Gram Panchayat level.

The CSS include Community Resource Persons for Community Mobilization (CRP-CM), Master Book Keepers (MBK), Bank Mitras, and Prani Mitras.

A total of 62,341 community support staff members have been recruited across the state. As per the guidelines issued by Odisha Livelihood Mission on the remuneration of community support staff, the remuneration was structured for five years from April 1, 2019, with 100 per cent support in the first three years, 75 per cent in the fourth year, and 50 per cent in the fifth year.

After the fifth year, the full remuneration was to be borne by the Gram Panchayat Level Federations.

"However, due to the lack of commitment from the previous government, the GPLFs could not become financially self-sufficient, resulting in non-payment of salaries to community support staff for the past ten months,” said Majhi.

CM Majhi also said that to enhance the financial independence of women in self-help groups, the "Lakshapati Didi Yojana" has been launched aiming to enable women to earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually. The state government targets to create 25 lakh "Lakshapati Didis" by 2027.