00 Chief Minister launches e-Pragati portal
00 5 departments and 5 districts receive Chief Minister's Excellence Award for good governance and innovation
Raipur. Good governance should not be limited to papers, but should be visible in the positive changes in the lives of the people and in the work of the officials. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said this while addressing the Chief Minister's Excellence Award 2025-26 programme organized in the capital city of Naya Raipur today.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai honored 5 departments and 5 districts with the Chief Minister's Excellence Award for good governance and innovations in the Chief Minister's Excellence Award 2025-26 organized by the Good Governance and Convergence Department. On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Sai also launched the e-Pragati portal, through which construction works costing more than Rs 25 crore of all departments of Chhattisgarh will now be monitored. Through this portal, all aspects including construction approval, budget, wages, payment, MIS, structure level will be monitored by the Chief Minister's Office.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the objective of good governance is to ensure that the last person in society does not have to wander for basic services. Through the Atal Digital Seva Kendras established in the Panchayats, villagers are now getting access to services like Aadhaar, pension, banking, and bill payment at one place. Our government has taken several initiatives to ensure effective access to good governance for citizens through technological innovations. In this regard, the e-Pragati portal was launched today, which aims to make the implementation of the state's major projects and schemes more effective, transparent, and timely. This portal will provide real-time data on the progress of schemes. It will establish better coordination between all departments, the district administration, and the Chief Minister's Office. This will further strengthen e-governance in the state and ensure timely and seamless access to benefits of schemes to citizens. He directed all collectors, secretaries, and concerned officials to regularly update the progress of schemes. Chief Minister Shri Sai said that through the Integral Humanism of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji, the concept of Antyodaya of respected Atal ji and the leadership of the successful Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, we have understood good governance deeply.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that we have created the country's first Good Governance and Convergence Department, which is the hub for coordination and effective implementation of all schemes. In the last two years, we have implemented over 400 policy reforms, eliminated old, useless rules and regulations, and amended many. These reforms have simplified the lives of the people of the state and made administration more efficient. Today, innovative efforts from five districts and five departments have been honored through the Chief Minister's Excellence Awards. This will encourage officers who perform well. From next year, these awards will be presented in eight different areas, including e-governance, service delivery, rural and urban development. This clearly demonstrates the development of a strong culture of innovation and good governance in Chhattisgarh.
Chief Minister Sai said that the Initiative and Prerana schemes are being launched to promote innovation in governance. Initiative will support new ideas, and Prerana will expand successful schemes. Soon, the Chief Minister's Helpline will also be launched, which will strengthen grievance redressal and public participation. To improve service delivery, procedures are being simplified, and the Public Service Guarantee Act is being developed as LSG-2.0.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that in these changing times, technology has become a part of life. Therefore, recognizing the power of digital resources, we have made technology a key tool for good governance. Making all citizen services available online is our top priority. E-Office has ensured both speed and transparency in government work. Files now move at a single click, instead of weeks or months. This has also ensured accountability of employees and officials and reduced the scope for corruption. E-Office, which began in the Ministry, has now been implemented in departmental offices as well. In the coming months, it will be implemented in all divisions and districts as well.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that Chief Secretary Shri Vikas Sheel's honoring officers and employees for outstanding work in e-Office is a commendable initiative, bringing about a positive change in work culture. Biometric attendance is also being implemented in all offices in a phased manner. Chief Minister Sai said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has become one of the world's largest economies, a key factor behind which is good governance. India's global leadership in digital payments is also a result of good governance.
He said that the mineral transportation permit system has been made online, curbing corruption and securing resources for development projects. Similarly, government procurement has been integrated with the GeM portal, increasing transparency and competition. He directed officials to ensure timeliness and transparency in procurement processes.
Chief Minister Sai stated that 10 revolutionary initiatives undertaken in the Registration Department now enable citizens to register from the comfort of their homes. Under the new Industrial Policy, investment proposals worth over ₹7.83 lakh crore were received last year. Investors are being granted expedited approvals and clearances through the Single Window System 2.0. Chief Minister Sai stated that 41 lakh applications were resolved through village-to-village visits through Good Governance Festival. This is a strong example of public participation. He emphasized that letters and applications from MPs and MLAs should be resolved in a timely manner. Communication, coordination, and feedback are essential for good governance.
Chief Minister Shri Sai emphasized that effective implementation of schemes in Naxal-affected areas is essential, along with strengthening law and order. Proper communication of the government's decisions and achievements is equally important. He stated that under the Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision, a clear roadmap has been prepared to make the state prosperous and developed by reviewing the goals by 2030. Addressing the event, Chief Secretary Shri Vikas Sheel congratulated all the teams participating in the awards process.
The district category winning innovation,
Dantewada district's blockchain-based land records digitization initiative, stood out as a prime example. This innovation eliminated manual and paperwork processes and implemented a blockchain-based tamper-proof system, reducing the time to obtain land records from weeks to just minutes. This initiative completely eliminated document fraud and accelerated service delivery, setting a new standard for revenue administration in tribal and remote areas.
Jashpur district's Nirman Jashpur initiative demonstrated how integrated digital monitoring can effectively implement infrastructure projects. Covering over 7,300 projects across 16 departments and 444 gram panchayats, the system enabled real-time monitoring, geo-tagged verification and GIS-based planning, improving the quality of work and significantly reducing delays.
The Enhanced Take-Home Ration (A-THR) innovation implemented in the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagadh outpost provided an effective solution to the challenge of severe malnutrition. Developed in collaboration with national and international institutions, this nutrient-dense diet achieved a 77.5 percent improvement rate among severely malnourished children. This initiative exemplifies how evidence-based nutrition interventions can bring positive changes to lives at scale.
The Elephant Tracking and Alert app in Gariaband district powerfully highlighted the role of technology in reducing human-wildlife conflict. Through AI-based tracking and real-time alerts, human casualties were reduced to almost zero, while crop damage and compensation burdens were significantly reduced. This initiative, which has been adopted outside the state, has become an effective model of conflict-sensitive governance.
The Intify Intelligence tool in Narayanpur district demonstrates the utility of data integration in the field of internal security. This real-time, geospatial, and predictive platform enabled the conduct of over 100 planned operations, improved coordination among various agencies, and strengthened situational awareness in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas. Similarly, in the
Departmental
category, the Education Department's Vidya Samiksha Kendra emerged as a strong pillar of data-driven education governance. This AI-enabled platform monitors over 56,000 schools, 283,000 teachers, and 5.75 million students, enabling early identification of dropouts, better resource utilization, and evidence-based decision-making.
The Commerce and Industry Department's One Click Single Window System has made significant progress in improving ease of doing business. Integrating 136 services across 16 departments, the system simplified approval, promotion, grievance redressal, and inspection processes, reducing delays and enhancing investor confidence through transparency.
The Commercial Tax (Excise) Department's comprehensive e-governance reform initiative strengthened revenue collection and compliance. Through end-to-end digitization, a track and trace system, and a real-time dashboard, the department generated revenues of ₹5,425 crore and set new standards for transparency and regulatory oversight.
The Forest and Climate Change Department's FDS 2.0 - e-Kuber Digital Payment System - eliminated manual check-based processes, implementing a completely cashless, RBI-integrated payment system. It completed 1.8 million transactions worth over ₹1,776 crore, ensuring timely wage payments, livelihood security, and transparent fund flow, even in remote and Naxal-affected forest areas.
The Panchayat and Rural Development Department's QR code-based information self-disclosure system implemented under MNREGA strengthened citizen-centric governance. By providing villagers with real-time scheme information through QR codes, this initiative reduced dependence on intermediaries and strengthened transparency in over 11,000 gram panchayats.
The welcome address at the event was delivered by Mr. Rahul Bhagat, Secretary, Department of Good Governance and Convergence, and the vote of thanks was given by Mr. Mayank Agarwal, Joint Secretary. Present on the occasion were DGP Mr. Arun Dev Gautam, Additional Chief Secretary Mrs. Richa Sharma, SCS Home Mr. Manoj Pingua, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Subodh Singh, Principal Secretary Mrs. Niharika Barik, Director, Department of Good Governance and Convergence Mr. Rajat Bansal, and other senior officials.
Through all these innovations, it is clear that governance in Chhattisgarh is not limited to mere implementation of schemes; rather, a new administrative culture focused on results, impact, and citizen trust is developing. These districts and departments honored under the Chief Minister's Excellence Awards 2025-26 are setting new standards in good governance, transparency, technological innovation, and public welfare. These achievements not only demonstrate the capabilities of the state's administrative machinery but also reinforce the government's firm commitment to a developed Chhattisgarh and a clear vision for the future.