Liaising & Capacity Building

The month of August involved several liaisoning activities. Monthly review meetings helped the team assess the progress of the project in the government wings for both Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). August also saw enforcement of the Model code of Conduct in 91 ULBs, though BMC and CMC were exempted. A series of discussions and successive decisions in the Government wing helped to lay down strategies for faster and smoother execution of the project, including deciding on the contractor for construction of the 27 Public Toilets in Bhubaneswar.

In the Cuttack Municipal Corporation preparation for submission and approval of the Detailed Project report and other relevant documents for transfer of Government allocated funds was the major activity in August. The Engineering wing provided the Project Sammaan team with several inputs on packaging and technical parameters as per the norms of the Government for the tender. Strategic plans were also developed to ensure that the work orders are issued before the enforcement of the model code of conduct in Cuttack.

Capacity Building activities continued simultaneously with project operations. A series ofdiscussions involving Land Officers, Engineering teams and Slum Improvement Officers appraised the Municipal officers on the project and its progress. Critical points about the execution of the project and the operations and maintenance of the facilities were discussed keeping in mind the research methodology that the team is working on.

Considering the anticipated enforcement of the model code of conduct in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation by mid-October, the month ahead (September) would be a crucial one. Key activities for the month include facilitation of meetings for resolving issues and planning out strategies for smooth execution of the project.