Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards making Bhubaneswar a beggar-free city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to implement the central government’s SMILE scheme — Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise — this year.

The scheme, launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aims at the comprehensive rehabilitation of people engaged in begging. Officials said it will help bring beggars back into the mainstream by providing them shelter, care and skill-based training to help them earn a livelihood.

While SMILE was first rolled out in 50 cities in 2022, Bhubaneswar has now been included in the second phase along with Puri, Cuttack and Jajpur.

To take the scheme forward, the BMC is in the process of hiring a recognised agency that will conduct a fresh survey to identify beggars in the city. Based on the findings, efforts will be made to rescue and rehabilitate them. A 50-bed shelter will also be established, and plans are being drawn up for their proper care and training.

The rehabilitation process will involve multiple stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, social activists and the general public. BMC has estimated an expenditure of around ₹30 lakh for the first phase of implementation.

This will be the first time SMILE is being introduced in Bhubaneswar. Officials believe it will strengthen the state government’s ongoing efforts under the Sahaya scheme, which also focuses on the welfare and rehabilitation of beggars and destitute individuals.

As part of that initiative, around 1,700 beggars have already been identified in the city, and five 100-bed rehabilitation centres have been set up by BMC to support them.