Mission Shakti Gets a Boost as Odisha Trains 4,500 Grassroots Support Staff

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government intensified its efforts to strengthen the Mission Shakti ecosystem by launching the third phase of a state-wide skill development and capacity-building programme for Community Support Staff, who play a key role in promoting women’s empowerment and livelihood initiatives at the grassroots.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida inaugurated the programme at Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Under the latest phase, nearly 4,500 Community Support Staff from all 30 districts will undergo specialised training between July and September 2026.

The first training session saw the participation of 190 Community Support Staff from Nimapada and Gop blocks of Puri district. During the event, the Deputy Chief Minister also distributed identity cards to seven Community Support Staff members. Officials said identity cards would be issued in phases to all 62,341 Community Support Staff working under Mission Shakti across Odisha.

The Community Support Staff comprise Community Resource Persons, Master Book Keepers, Bank Mitras, Krushi Mitras, Prani Mitras and Livelihood Support Persons, who provide technical and institutional support to thousands of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.

Addressing the participants, Parida said the State Government is committed to making women’s Self-Help Groups stronger and financially independent by equipping grassroots workers with the necessary knowledge and skills. She said Community Support Staff have emerged as the driving force behind the successful implementation of Mission Shakti and have played a significant role in expanding women’s participation in economic activities.

She said the government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, is working in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of creating more Lakhpati Didis. Strengthening the capacity of Community Support Staff, she added, would help create more successful women entrepreneurs and accelerate the state’s women-led development initiatives.

The training programme includes expert sessions on institution building, entrepreneurship promotion, livelihood development, financial inclusion, digital literacy, implementation of government welfare schemes and strategies for improving service delivery at the grassroots level.

Officials said the programme is aimed at creating a more skilled and efficient grassroots support system capable of helping women-led Self-Help Groups access government schemes, expand livelihood opportunities and become financially self-reliant, thereby further strengthening the Mission Shakti movement across Odisha.