Raipur: The Vishnu Deo Sai Cabinet has concluded an important meeting, resulting in several significant decisions, particularly concerning the three-tier Panchayat and urban body elections. The primary outcome is the decision to provide reservation in these elections based on the initial report from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Welfare Commission.
Previously, the reservation cap in local bodies was limited to a lump sum of 25 per cent; however, it has now been expanded to allow a maximum of 50 per cent reservation, proportionate to the population of backward classes, senior officials said.
The decision permits up to 50 per cent reservation for OBCs based on their population. In local bodies where total reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) exceeds 50 per cent, OBC reservations will be set to zero. In cases where SC/ST reservation is below 50 per cent, OBCs may receive reservations up to the established 50 per cent maximum, officials said.
This policy stipulates that reservations will not exceed the actual population percentage of OBCs in a given body. For key positions like District Panchayat President, Municipal Corporation Mayor, and Municipal Council President, reserved posts will be allocated based on total population and applied uniformly across the state, they said.
According to officials, the Cabinet also extended the validity of the government guarantee for paddy procurement in the Kharif marketing year 2023-24, amounting to Rs 14,700 crore, until October 31, 2025.
Additionally, 97 teachers from the Teacher Panchayat cadre have been merged into the School Education Department. The department’s Principal has been granted a one-time exemption to approve pay scales for specific periods from 2007 to 2019, they said.
The Cabinet approved Chhattisgarh’s Industrial Development Policy 2024-29, effective from November 1, 2024, through October 31, 2029. This policy is aligned with the Amritkal Chhattisgarh Vision 2047 and incorporates amendments from the 2020 MSMED Act. District development blocks are divided into three sectors to determine industrial investment incentives, officials said.
Further, to boost investment in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, land will be allocated at concessional rates, and the Atal Nagar Development Authority has been exempted from fees until 2026. Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) has been granted 118 acres in Jagdalpur for an NMDC residential complex, they said.
The Cabinet approved the establishment of a new State Commissioner post for the Divyaangjan Office and launched the Chief Minister’s Tirtha Darshan Yojana, offering pilgrimage opportunities for individuals over 60. The National Education Policy 2020 will now apply to the Technical Education Department, facilitating students’ access to technical knowledge. Additionally, document registration fees related to immovable property transfers will be rationalised. An amendment draft to the Chhattisgarh Nagar Palika Act 1956 was also approved, they added.
Read More
