Not slum dwellers, Mo Cycles to be distributed among women SHGs in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Shunning aside rumours over plan for distribution of Mo Cycles among slum children, Odisha Government has decided to give out the bicycles to women SHGs, transgenders and ragpickers.

The bicycles of ‘Mo Cycle’ public bike sharing (PBS) system will be distributed among persons engaged at various organisations under Housing & Urban Development Department of Odisha Government, informed Principal Secretary G Mathi Vathanan.

Recently, there was speculation that Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was mulling over an idea to distribute Mo Cycles among slum children in the capital city.

“Most of the bicycles of the Mo Cycle scheme have been lying unutilized at various places in the city here. The civic body authorities are planning to repair the cycles and distribute them among either slum children or school students. The corporators have given their consent to a proposal in this regard,” a source in the BMC had told last week.

Worth mentioning, Odisha Government had launched the Mo Cycle initiative in Bhubaneswar in November 2018 as part of the civic authorities’ effort to promote eco-friendly communication among the residents.

The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) had purchased around 1,800 cycles under the scheme. The authorities had paid Rs 25,000 for each bicycle.

Three private agencies were roped in to manage the PBS system and maintain the cycles.

However, the initiative could not be successful as it failed to attract users and most of the bicycles procured under the scheme gathered dusts at various places in the city since 2018.

Besides, the state government has decided to provide RoR among 1 lakh beneficiaries under Jaga Mission by December 2023, Mathi Vathanan said today.

The beneficiaries in five municipal corporations — Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur — will be benefited in the Jaga Mission.

He said that while drinking water has been provided under Drink from Tap Mission in Puri town, the Housing & Urban Development Department is aiming 100% achievement in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Gopalpur.

This apart, Har Ghar Jal scheme initiated by the Ministry of Jal Shakti of Government of India is in progress in the state. The department has planned to build cluster toilets instead of community toilets under Mo Toilet scheme apart from expediting Biju Adarsh Colony scheme. The beneficiaries will be provided Rs 16,000 as subsidy amount under Mo Toilet scheme, he added.