Islamabad: The capital city has been included among the first 500 cities selected for the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge; announced in January by US-based Bloomberg Cities Network, a news source reported on February 26.
The international competition aims to ‘identify and accelerate the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies. ‘It is meant to select top 50 ideas from municipalities based upon the criteria of vision, impact, implementation and transferability. Idea themes include health, inclusive growth, climate change and good governance,’ the organization stated in its January announcement.
Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) is leading the initiative. It has included street vendors in the programme. Further, MCI has set up a Street Economy Unit to improve the livelihoods of these individuals. Ehsaas, the federal government’s poverty alleviation initiative, is providing its support to the MCI in its endeavors aimed at uplifting the underprivileged segments of the country.
