Meeting of the Council of Ministers- Many important decisions were taken in the Cabinet meeting

-Many important decisions were taken in the Cabinet meeting held here today at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai 

 In the Cabinet meeting, it has been decided to conduct the election of Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairman of Municipal Councils of the state through direct method. For this, the draft of Ordinance 2024 was approved in the meeting regarding amendment in various sections of Chhattisgarh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956 (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 and Chhattisgarh Municipality Act 1961 (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (Provisions related to direct election and reservation).

It is worth mentioning here that in the undivided Madhya Pradesh state, before 1999, the election of Mayors and Chairman of Municipal Councils in Municipal Corporations was done through direct method. The then government had decided to conduct the election of Mayors of urban bodies and Chairman of Municipal Councils through indirect method, the notification of which was published in the Gazette on 12 December 2019. The Backward Classes and Minorities Department of the Government of Chhattisgarh has approved the provision of reservation in local bodies up to the maximum limit of 50 percent reservation in proportion to the number of Other Backward Classes by relaxing the lump sum limit of 25 percent in respect of representation and reservation of Other Backward Classes in the elections of three-tier Panchayats and urban bodies, as per the recommendation received in the report of the Backward Classes Welfare Commission.

 It was decided to amend various sections to amend the provisions related to representation and reservation of Other Backward Classes in three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions under the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Act, 1993.

 The Council of Ministers permitted the Civil Supplies Corporation to procure the required gram for distribution to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System through the Chamds e-auction platform.

It is worth mentioning here that under the Public Distribution System by the Chhattisgarh Government, 2 kg gram is supplied at the rate of Rs 5 per kg per month to Antyodaya and priority ration card holders residing in all the scheduled development blocks and Moda packet area of ​​the state. At present, 30 lakh 22 thousand families are being benefited under the gram distribution scheme by the Chhattisgarh Government. The state needs 6046 tonnes of gram per month and 72 thousand 52 tonnes of gram per year for gram distribution. Gram has been procured by the Civil Supplies Corporation. In order to supply high quality gram to the beneficiaries through the Chhattisgarh Government’s gram distribution scheme, the Council of Ministers has given permission to the Civil Supplies Corporation to do so through the Chamds e-auction platform.  Industry status to tourism – In the meeting of the Council of Ministers, it was decided to grant industry status to tourism in the state on the proposal of Chhattisgarh Tourism Department for promotion and planned development of tourism in the state.

It is worth noting that under the new Industrial Policy 2024-30 of the Chhattisgarh Government, apart from including tourism, entertainment and other social service sectors, provision of grants/exemptions/concession has been made like general industries on making minimum permanent capital investment prescribed for tourism projects in the Government of India and Chhattisgarh Tourism Policy 2020.

Giving industry status to tourism will help in attracting and encouraging private investment in adventure, water tourism, medical and wellness tourism, agro tourism, tourism units, land bank in the state. This will encourage stakeholders. Tourism related infrastructure will be developed. Capital investment related to tourism will increase. Amenities suitable for national and international tourists will be developed in the state. Huge employment opportunities will be created in the field of tourism in the state.