Aafrin Kidwai 
The Orissa government has asked district collectors and urban local bodies across the state to to identify all rag pickers and involve them in the works of MCCs and material recovery facilities (MRFs) so that they could earn their living from it.
Interacting with district collectors and executive officers of all 114 ULBs, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said the newly announced Cleanest City Award award is an initiative by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for creating healthy competition among the ULBs on their march towards a clean and liveable city, reports The New Indian Express.
Asking the Collectors to make the initiative a mass movement through intensive awareness, behaviour change education and active involvement of the people, the Chief Secretary directed the ULBs to involve the members of the Mission Shakti and transgender groups in operation and management of the micro composting centres (MCCs).
The Chief Ministers’ Cleanest City Award will be given each year on three categories – top two performers from among nine cities included under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) programme, top three performers among 44 municipalities, and, top three performers among 61 NACs.
Picture Credit: Subhashish Panigrahi, Odisha state secretariat hall, Bhubaneswar, India, CC BY-SA 3.0
