Bhubaneswar: The smart city project implementing agency has invited a fresh proposal for selection of an organisation to impart self-defence training to adolescent girls city slums along Janpath.

Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited's (BSCL) aim is to empower the women of smart city. The programme will be implemented first for girls of 24 slums in the Bhubaneswar Town Centre District.

The BSCL had initiated the project in June. But various administrative glitches hampered the process.

In a related development, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has joined the administration in taking up similar programmes.

"We planned to introduce the self-defence training for city girls by July, but had to stop in absence of expert supervision. We had then collaborated with the UNFPA and decided to come up with a more comprehensive plan. Now, we are ready to roll it out," said a BSCL official.

Sources said the authorities would execute the training process in three phases with eight slums in each. Three hundred girls will get training in the first phase, which will start by the end of December. A batch will consists of 30 girls and training will last 10 days.

"We have been promoting people-centric interventions byt engaging the youth, especially girls and women. We want to promote youth engagement in smart city and also make efforts to empower women. We hope that the programme will instil confidence among them," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.