Raipur . Several important decisions related to the state's interests were taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Wednesday at the Chief Minister's residence office in Civil Lines, chaired by Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai. The meeting approved the proposal for the Chhattisgarh Excise Policy for the financial year 2026-27, and authorized the department to undertake all related related proceedings.

The Council of Ministers also approved the allotment of approximately 40 acres of land in Sector 18 to Vile Parle Kalavani Mandal (SVKM) on a 90-year lease for the establishment of a high-quality educational institution in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. The Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies will be established on this land. SVKM, which has been engaged in education since 1934, currently operates 30 educational institutions across the country, where over 100,000 students are annually receiving education from pre-primary to doctoral programs. The institution has been ranked 52nd in the NIRF University Rankings for the year 2025. The establishment of this institute in Naya Raipur will give new strength to modern and quality education in the state.

The meeting also decided to sign an MoU with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to establish four new entrepreneurship centers in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. This initiative will boost the IT and ITES industry and technology start-up ecosystem in the state. STPI currently operates 68 centers across the country, 60 of which are located in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

In collaboration with the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh, STPI will promote 133 domain-specific start-ups over the next three to five years in areas such as AI, MedTech (herbal medicine and forest products based), Smart Cities, and Smart Agriculture. Additionally, an Electronics System Design and Development (ESDD) Centre will be established in the state, which will provide necessary technical support, including prototype development, to 30 to 40 hardware start-ups and MSMEs annually.

The Cabinet also made important decisions to ensure quality testing facilities in all government health institutions across the state. Effective operational systems will be implemented to strengthen lab facilities in district hospitals, community health centers, and primary health centers, optimize resource utilization, and increase testing according to established standards.