Bhubaneswar: The housing and urban development department has entered into an agreement with the Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank, to sensitise and enhance the knowledge of officials under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut).

The agreement aims to enhance the knowledge of officials on the impact of inadequate urban services and its challenges on cities and interaction with implementers to strengthen knowledge.

"We have entered into an agreement with the centre to provide us handholding support while executing projects planned under Amrut," said a housing and urban development department official.

"Selected officials will visit Delhi and get training under the agreement and, in turn, extend their expertise here," the official added.

Several projects, including parks and water supply, are being executed in the state under Amrut, which covers nine cities - Bhubanewar, Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Baripada and Bhadrak.

Sources said that as part of the pact, the centre would make efforts for capacity building of officials and mainstreaming reforms or good practices. It will cover subject areas such as engineering and public health and town planning and support the delivery of individual capacity-building programmes.

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