City livelihood centres to aid urban poor in Bengal

The West Bengal government has started a series of 'Nagar Jibika Kendra' (City Livelihood Centres) across the state to provide livelihood and employment opportunities for the urban poor.
As part of the West Bengal Urban Livelihood Mission, 28 such centres have been started in as many urban local bodies spread across the state in the first phase this month, officials said today.
The livelihood centres, which are run among others by self-help group federations, NGOs, resource organisations but under direct supervision of urban local bodies (ULBs), are getting a untied fund of Rs 10 lakh for running a centre.
The project is being implemented by the West Bengal State Urban Livelihood Mission (WBSULM) through ULBs and state urban development agency under the state municipal affairs department.

"We have seen that many urban poor families formed their self-help groups and produced different kinds of products through training, but they were lagging behind in selling their products. These livelihood centres will solve their problems," they said.
Self Help Groups and its federations will be benefited by getting various types of information through which they can enhance their livelihood.
SHGs and its federations will get information on credit linkage under various schemes while unemployed youth will get information about skill training and employment opportunities including self-employment, they said.