Bhubaneswar, Dec. 3: Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has decided to engage experts who will mobilise communities and teach residents how to remain socially safe, and secure to ensure social security and equality among citizens.

The smart city's special purpose vehicle has already started the process of hiring gender and youth specialists for the programme. It had entered into an agreement with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on November 21 to implement the project.

The experts appointed will undertake safety audits and hold various community engagement programmes in different parts of the city. While the UNFPA's population database will help plan and deliver services, the safety audits will enable the administrators to draw up specific plans for specific sections of people.

The BSCL has already drawn up some basic sub-plans to be implemented under the project such as citizen connect programme, which will ensure public participation in policy making.

"The project's objectives are to develop a youth-centric and youth-led integrated social intervention model to support the citizens' connect initiative, promote safety and security of girls and women. Our focus will remain on the urban poor as they are the most vulnerable section of society when it comes to security and equality," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

A BSCL official, while explaining the proposed "Neighbourhood Watch" programme, said it was one of the most effective crime prevention programmes ever launched.