Cabinet Meeting 

Raipur : Under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, a Cabinet meeting was held today at the Mantralaya (Mahanadi Bhawan), during which several significant decisions were made:

- Cabinet has approved one-year extension to the validity period of the government guarantee amount approved for paddy procurement at support price by Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation for the Kharif marketing year 2023-24, now validity extended until October 31, 2025. The approved amount is Rs 14,700 crore.

- Cabinet has decided to provide reservations in the elections for the three-tier panchayati raj and urban bodies according to the first report and recommendations of the Other Backward Classes Welfare Commission. Under this provision, the previously fixed limit of 25 percent for reservations in local bodies has been relaxed, allowing a maximum reservation of 50 percent based on the population ratio of Other Backward Classes. In bodies where the total reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is 50 percent or more, the reservation for Other Backward Classes will be zero. If the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes is less than 50 percent in a body, then the maximum reservation for Other Backward Classes will be up to 50 percent, but it will not exceed the population of Other Backward Classes in that body. For positions where reservations are determined at the state level, such as District Panchayat President, Municipal Corporation Mayor, and Municipality Chairperson, the number of reserved positions will be determined based on the total population of those bodies, adhering to the aforementioned principles.

- The Cabinet approved the integration of 97 teachers from the Panchayat cadre into the School Education Department. The School Education Department has been authorized to integrate the remaining cases of Panchayat teachers upon receiving eligibility recommendations from the Panchayat Department.

- The Cabinet has decided to grant a one-time exemption to the principals of schools under the School Education Department for the approval of first and second time-bound pay scales based on the first assessment from the year 2007 to 2019.

- The Cabinet approved the draft and proposal of Chhattisgarh's new Industrial Development Policy for 2024-30. This new policy will be effective from November 1, 2024, to March 31, 2030.

This policy aims to realize the vision of Amritkal Chhattisgarh Vision @2047, establishing new dimensions of industrial development in the state. The new industrial policy incorporates amendments made by the Government of India in 2020 to the definition of micro, small, medium, and large enterprises under the MSMED Act, 2006. It also includes specific provisions for encouraging industrial development for balanced growth in the state.

To fulfill the objectives of the new Industrial Policy 2024-30, industrial investment incentives will be provided for the establishment, expansion/diversification, replacement, and other activities of new enterprises in the state. The quantity of industrial investment incentives will also be determined by dividing the developmental blocks of all districts into three categories to achieve the goal of comprehensive industrial development across all sectors of the state. 

The new industrial development policy contains separate provisions for core sector products such as steel, cement, thermal power, and aluminum, and is divided into thrust and general industries based on the needs of the state. Attractive industrial investment incentives are also proposed for pharmaceuticals, textiles, food processing, agricultural product preservation, NTFP processing, electronic products, IT, and ITES, among others.

- The Cabinet approved the draft of the Amritkal: Chhattisgarh Vision @2047 vision document.

- To promote investment, employment, and settlement in Naya Raipur Atal Nagar, it was decided to allocate land at a concessional premium rate for the development of information technology industries, health services, educational institutions, and electronics and electrical industries.

- For the construction of residential complexes for NMDC officials/employees in Gram Niyanar, Jagdalpur district of Bastar, the Cabinet approved the sale of 118 acres of government land allocated to the Chhattisgarh Housing Board to CSIDC through registry.

- Cabinet decided to grant exemption from stamp duty to the Naya Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority for purchasing private land through mutual agreement for the Naya Raipur project until March 31, 2026.

- A decision was made to create a post for the State Commissioner in the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.

- The Cabinet made an important decision to start the Chief Minister's Pilgrimage Darshan Scheme in the state as per the manifesto. Under this scheme, individuals aged 60 years or more, persons with disabilities, widows, and abandoned women from the state will be provided a free journey to one or more identified pilgrimage sites located outside the state, once in their lifetime. A budget provision of Rs 25 crore has been made in the first supplementary budget for 2024-25.

It is noteworthy that the Chief Minister's Pilgrimage Travel Scheme was initiated in 2012. Under this scheme, until 2019, 247,000 beneficiaries were provided pilgrimage travel through 272 trips. In 2019, the name of this scheme was changed to the Teerath Barat Scheme; however, no pilgrimage trips were made from 2019 to 2023. The Cabinet has decided to restart this scheme under the name of the Chief Minister's Pilgrimage Darshan Scheme.

- The Cabinet also decided to implement the National Education Policy 2020 in Chhattisgarh's Technical Education Department. This will provide students with a comprehensive and flexible education system along with quality teaching. More resources and support will be obtained to promote research and innovation, leading to a more skilled workforce for industries.

- In view of public interest, the Cabinet decided to rationalize the registration fees for documents related to the transfer of immovable property. The proposal related to the revision of the registration fee schedule under the Registration Act, 1908 (Act 16 of 1908) was approved in the meeting.

- The draft of the Chhattisgarh Municipal Act 1956 (Amendment) Ordinance-2024 was approved.

- The draft of the Chhattisgarh Municipality Act 1961 (Amendment) Ordinance-2024 was approved.