Bhubaneswar: Odisha has launched Project ‘BLESS’, a three-year flagship initiative aimed at curbing distress migration by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, enhancing skills and promoting entrepreneurship among vulnerable rural families across the state. The project will be implemented by the Mission Shakti department in collaboration with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) and the NSE Foundation. Project BLESS will be rolled out in 69 blocks across eight migration-prone districts—Bolangir, Badagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Kandhamala, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. For families compelled to migrate despite these interventions, Project BLESS will facilitate access to fair wages, legal assistance and social security benefits, ensuring safer and more dignified migration. The Mission Shakti department Thursday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CRISP and the NSE Foundation to implement the project.