Five historic decisions in a single meeting – from support prices to stadium lease, cabinet approves five transformative steps
Raipur. In the cabinet meeting held today at Mahanadi Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, several significant decisions were taken —
1) Procurement of Pulses and Oilseeds under PSS
The Council of Ministers has decided to procure pulses and oilseeds during the Kharif and Rabi marketing seasons under the “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan” (PM-AASHA) through the Price Support Scheme (PSS), as done in previous years.
It is noteworthy that under PM-AASHA, procurement of crops such as Arhar, Moong, Urad, Groundnut, and Soybean during Kharif, and pulses-oilseeds like Gram, Mustard, and Lentil during Rabi is conducted at the Minimum Support Price. Procurement of pulses and oilseeds at MSP in the state’s markets helps maintain market competition, ensuring farmers get better prices for their produce.
2) Administrative Restructuring for Better Governance
The cabinet approved amendments to the Chhattisgarh Government Business (Allocation) Rules, merging the Public Enterprises Department into the Commerce and Industries Department, and the Twenty-Point Programme Implementation Department into the Planning, Economics & Statistics Department.
This step is aimed at strengthening good governance and ensuring the principle of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.”
3) Strengthening Paddy Procurement Mechanism
To ensure smooth operation of MSP-based paddy procurement for the Kharif Marketing Year 2024–25, the cabinet approved the renewal of the existing government guarantee of ₹15,000 crore for banks and financial institutions for the Kharif Marketing Year 2025–26, along with an additional government guarantee of ₹11,200 crore for the Marketing Federation.
4) Major Relief in Housing Schemes – Flexible Sale Rules
The cabinet approved additional provisions in the existing eligibility rules for housing schemes including Deendayal Awas Yojana, Atal Awas Yojana, Atal Vihar Yojana, and Nava Raipur Chief Minister Housing Scheme:
a) If EWS and LIG category houses/flats remain unsold even after three rounds of advertisement, they may be sold to beneficiaries from any income group. However, such beneficiaries will not be eligible for government subsidies. Subsidies will remain available only for the originally defined income categories.
b) If unsold EWS/LIG houses remain after three advertisements and there is a proposal for bulk purchase by a single individual, government/semi-government organization, or private institution, then more than one property may be sold to them as per demand. However, they will not be eligible for government subsidy. Wide publicity will be ensured so more beneficiaries can take advantage of this provision.
5) Cricket Stadium to Be Given on Long-Term Lease
The cabinet approved the important decision to lease the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, to the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association for complete long-term operations and development as per the contract.
This decision will provide world-class training and technical facilities to aspiring cricket players of the state. It will also ensure hosting of more national and international cricket matches in Chhattisgarh.
