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New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
MEPMA bags 9 SKOCH Platinum Awards for initiatives to end poverty
VIJAYAWADA: The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), under the Government of Andhra Pradesh, has achieved national recognition by winning nine SKOCH Platinum Awards for its exemplary work in urban poverty alleviation. The SKOCH Awards, among India's most prestigious independent honours, acknowledged MEPMA's innovative, inclusive, and impactful initiatives that have significantly improved the lives of vulnerable urban communities. Of the 14 projects submitted by MEPMA, nine were selected for Platinum honours following a rigorous evaluation process comprising peer review, board assessment, public voting, and expert panel scrutiny. The recognition is seen as a milestone in Andhra Pradesh's commitment to inclusive urban development, especially in empowering self-help groups (SHGs), urban homeless, street vendors, and marginalised occupational communities. The awarded projects span a wide range of focus areas including housing for the urban homeless, financial inclusion of SHG members, digital livelihood tracking, e-commerce for women entrepreneurs, skill development, gig economy participation, and structured support for street vendors and vulnerable groups. MEPMA's strategic and community-driven approach has emerged as a model for other states to follow. Mission Director N Tej Bharath credited the leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Adminstration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister P Narayana for their support, and thanked Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar and CM's Secretary Pradyumna for their guidance. The SKOCH Awards will be officially presented during the SKOCH Summit in New Delhi on September 20, 2025.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
MEPMA bags 9 prestigious SKOCH Awards
Guntur: Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) , Government of AP, was honoured with the prestigious SKOCH Platinum Awards for its exemplary performance in activities towards urban poverty alleviation. The MEPMA has been conferred with nine SKOCH Platinum Awards for its exemplary contribution to Urban Poverty Alleviation. This prestigious honour recognises MEPMA's innovative and impactful initiatives, which have transformed the lives of urban communities across AP and have set a benchmark for other States to emulate. The awards will be presented at a grand awards ceremony to be held in New Delhi as a part of the SKOCH Summit on September 20. Out of 14 projects submitted by MEPMA, nine projects have received the prestigious award after passing through a multi-stage scrutiny process. The nine award-winning initiatives recognised by SKOCH include: Nivasam, Web & App based IT platform for providing safe and secure housing for the urban homeless. Livelihood tracker: Leveraging technology for monitoring and enhancing livelihoods, bank linkage scheme, empowering SHG women through E-Commerce, linkage with ONDC & Non ONDC platforms, empowering urban SHGs via skill and gig economy. MEPMA Mission director N Tej Barath expressed his gratitude to the Government of AP. He emphasised that this recognition reinforces MEPMA's resolve to continue its mission of eradicating urban poverty and building resilient communities.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
MEPMA bags nine SKOCH Platinum awards
The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) has secured nine SKOCH Platinum awards. Established in 2007 and operating under the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MA&UD), MEPMA addresses urban poverty through a multi-dimensional approach that integrates livelihood generation, financial inclusion, skill development, housing and women empowerment, according to a release from the department. Out of 14 innovative projects submitted by MEPMA, nine were chosen for the recognition. The nine initiatives pertain to the welfare of self-help groups (SHGs), urban homeless, street vendors and unrecognised occupational groups. 'This is a moment of pride not just for the department, but for every individual who has been empowered through these interventions. Our aim has always been to create lasting, inclusive change,' said S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, MA&UD Department, in the press statement. He added that the MEPMA field staff have been instrumental in implementing the policy. 'From training SHG members in digital tools to facilitating access to markets, their efforts have touched thousands of lives,' Mr. Suresh Kumar said. MEPMA mission director N. Tej Bharat said these awards are a recognition of the tireless efforts of their teams and commitment of the SHGs. The SKOCH Awards are a prestigious independent civilian award presented by the SKOCH Group. The SKOCH Platinum awards will be formally presented at the SKOCH Summit in New Delhi on September 20.
