Bhubaneswar: The special purpose vehicle for smart city projects, in collaboration with its allied agencies, called on nodal officers of various educational institutes to chalk out plans to make the youth socially smart and provide a safe, secured and liveable environment to them.

The Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the United Nations Population Fund on Friday organised an orientation programme for the nodal officers.

It saw a participation of about 65 institutions of the city. Representatives from police, women's commission, District Child Protection Unit and the women and child welfare department were also present at the programme to give inputs.

The officials discussed about the present crime scenario with reference to violence against women and various initiatives adopted by the state to address the issues.

Experts shared reports of various types of crime in the society in the recent past and educate the nodal officers about the legal provisions to safeguard the rights of girls and women. Experts talked about the usage of Mo Saathi App, help-line numbers for women and children, Sakhi Centre and role of the women's commission.

Representatives of the police said every police station had a women and child desk to enable girls and women to file their complaints with ease.

"We also have a special counselling centre at our headquarters for the women, girls and children," said Bijayjani Malla, sub-inspector at Mahila police station here.

Experts also discussed about various commissions set up to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, including children and persons with disabilities. "The aim of this programme is to educate the nodal officers about various initiatives of the state. They will then dissimilate the information among their students," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The special purpose vehicle has been working to strengthen the social components of smart city in association with United Nations body. "The project aims to reach out to the youths to create awareness on various aspects of gender-based violence both at the level of slums and the educational institutes," he said.

It is the second-phase youth-connect programme being conducted by the administration here.

Sources said the administration targeted to involve 26 schools in the programme. The nodal officers of these institutes after the orientation programme will create awareness among the students on aspects of gender-based violence at their level.