Will be involved in various programs organized in the capital Raipur including Surajpur district

Raipur, TNINS 

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel will participate in various programs organized in the capital including the transfer of funds to the beneficiaries of Godhan Nyaya Yojana on January 10. Along with this, he will participate in the local program in Batra village under Surajpur district.

Chief Minister Mr. Baghel will virtually transfer the amount  to the beneficiaries under the Godhan Nyaya Yojana through video conferencing on January 10 as per the scheduled tour programme. This program will be organized in the Chief Minister's residence office from 11.30 am. After this, the Chief Minister will leave his residence at 12.05 pm and will reach the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay auditorium situated in the G.E. road  of capital Raipur at 12.25 pm to attend the 63rd annual conference of Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries Raipur.

Chief Minister Mr. Baghel will leave from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium and reach Police Ground Helipad Raipur at 1.15 pm and will reach Government Higher Secondary School ground of Batra village of  Surajpur district at 2.35 pm. After participating in the local program of village Batra there, the Chief Minister will leave from Batra by helicopter at 3.15 pm and return to Police Ground Helipad Raipur at 4.35 pm. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel will leave his residence at 8.40 pm and reach Hotel Babylon Capital and participate in News 24's program 'Manthan Chhattisgarh' at 9 pm.

 Financial aid of Rs 20,000 to be given lump sum under 'Shramik Sian Sahayata Yojana'

Raipur, TNINS 

Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel met the beneficiary workers of the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Shram Anna Yojana, run by the Labor Department, at Gandhi Maidan in Raipur on New Year. On this occasion, he announced to increase the one-time financial assistance given under 'Mukhyamantri Shramik Sian Sahayata Yojana' from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. In compliance with the announcement, a notification has been issued by the labor department in this regard, increasing the financial aid given under the scheme.

For the registered construction workers associated with Chhattisgarh Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board under the Labor Department, the membership of the construction workers who have completed 60 years of age automatically terminates. Such construction workers whose membership is about to terminate, a lump sum financial aid is provided to them under the scheme to ensure  their better quality of living.

Under the scheme, the construction workers should be registered in the board for at least the last three years and the minimum age of the construction worker should be 59 years and maximum 60 years. To avail benefits of various schemes of the Labor Department, eligible labor applications have been started online on the departmental portal of the Labor Department, cglabour.nic.in. Workers can apply online themselves or through 'Shramev Jayate' mobile app and labor office of the district concerned or through any public service center

 Raipur and Durg qualified for the next round in U-18 Boys Kho-Kho

Bilaspur and Bastar division secured their place in the next round in U-18 Girls Kho-Kho

Bastar and Durg division qualified for the next round in 18-40 age group category

Raipur, TNINS 

 Bilaspur District Administration’s website to get National Platinum Award tomorrow

The collector will receive the award from the hands of the President on January 7 in New Delhi

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel congratulated the district administration team

Raipur, 7 January

In a bid to make district administration easy and accessible, an innovative website was created by the Bilaspur district administration as per the instructions of the Chief Minister Mr. Baghel. This website has been selected to receive a National Platinum Award for its innovative features and President Smt. Draupadi Murmu will honor the website of District Administration Bilaspur with the National Platinum Award in a program organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on January 7. It is noteworthy that the Bilaspur district administration’s website has been selected for the National Platinum Award by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. District Collector Mr. Saurabh Kumar will receive this award from the hands of the President. NIC Bilaspur's DIO Arvind Yadav and Assistant DIO Manoj Kumar Singh will also be present on this occasion. Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel has congratulated the team of District Administration Bilaspur for this achievement.

 It is worth mentioning that this prestigious award is given to the government websites which stand first in different categories. The website of Bilaspur District Administration has been given this award under the category of Best Web and Mobile Initiative in Compliance with GIGW and accessibility Guidelines. The website of Bilaspur district has made innovation in the implementation of Central Government's flagship scheme Digital India. In addition to uploading information about Central and State Government schemes in the website prepared by NIC (National Informatics Center), special facilities have also been provided for the differently-abled. Visually impaired people can also listen to the information given in this website through software. Wherever the mouse cursor will go, the written information will be converted into voice notes. However, this facility is currently available in English only. In the coming days, this facility will also be provided in Hindi. For this, the technical experts of NIC have already started working on the software.

  Seeing the Chief Minister, the children, women, and elders of Mathpara came out of the house and donated in large numbers.

 The Chief Minister visited the Dudhadhari Math in Chherchhera Punni fair and visited the temple.

 Raipur, 07January 2023/ On the occasion of the Chherchhera festival, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel was seen seeking donations from street to street with a bag in his hand on the streets of Mathpara in Raipur. The Chief Minister walked through the streets for almost 30 minutes, collecting donations from everyone. Residents of Mathpara stepped out of their homes when they saw Chief Minister Mr. Baghel and dropped grains, vegetables, and other items in his bag as a donation. Donations were made with enthusiasm by ladies, older people, and young children. During this time, the Chief Minister also delivered the money as a donation to the children.

 Meanwhile, on the Chherchhera festival, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel visited Dudhadhari Math and prayed to God, wishing the people of the state prosperity and happiness. On this occasion, Mr. Baghel expressed his best wishes to everyone for Chherchhera and stated that the festival of Chherchhera sends a strong message because donations are given and received on this day. Giving charity is a show of generosity, whereas accepting charity is a symbol of ego destruction. The money donated in Chherchhera is used for public welfare.

 Chief Minister Mr. Baghel, stated that our government has declared all local festivities to be public holidays. We enthusiastically celebrate all Chhattisgarh festivities, such as Teeja, Pora, Hareli, and others, at the Chief Minister's residence. He said that farmers grow crops in the field and provide food to everybody. Food grains are donated by all classes, including our Annadata farmers. As stated by the Chief Minister, by the grace of Lord Balaji, there has been a very good harvest this year, with 85 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured so far, and not a single farmer has complained. All of the farmers were also compensated immediately. Prior to the program, the Chief Minister was also weighed against paddy. It is worth noting that, as with every year, Chherchhera and Punni Mela will be held on the grounds of Dudhadhari Math, where a great number of people will be present to give and receive donations. Chairman of Gauseva Commission Rajeshree Mahant Ramsunder Das, Deputy Speaker of Vidhansabha Mr. Santram Netam, MLA Mr. Brihaspat Singh, Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Pradeep Sharma, Mayor Mr. Aijaz Dhebar, Chairman Mr. Pramod Dubey were present in the program.

Expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for the establishment of the new college in Jaalbandha and Swami Atmanand English Medium School.

Raipur, 05 January 2023/ TNINS 

A delegation of students and teachers from Government High School Madrakuhi in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district met with the chief minister, accompanied by Khairagarh MLA Smt. Yashoda Nilambar Verma. The students thanked the Chief Minister for including the new college in Jalbandha in the state government's last year budget, as well as to establish Swami Atmanand English Medium School for free excellent English education for poor children.

Atmanand English Medium Schools, as stated by the students, have been established in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai and Salhewara. This gives our siblings the chance to receive a high-quality education in an English-speaking atmosphere. The Chief Minister encouraged the students to work hard and study diligently and wished them a bright future. The kids also expressed gratitude to the chief minister for establishing Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai as a district.

School students Nirjala Verma and Niharika Singh told the Chief Minister that the opening of the college in Jalbandha would provide many advantages for students in this area to pursue higher education. Because one will no longer need to travel outside to study, the educational level here will shift instantly. The girl students thanked the Chief Minister for Swami Atmanand English Medium School, which is established with the goal of delivering better education to the state's poor students, and stated that with the school's opening, poor children are also receiving a good education. They can now communicate effectively in English. This will also greatly assist them in advancing their careers.

Write to Diya Mali

 Chief Minister enjoyed Ragi pudding the most, praised the taste and texture

Millets Cafe will be opened soon in Mantralaya and Divisional C-Mart: Chief Minister

Legislators relished the delicious taste of ragi pakoras, kodo bhajiya and kutki fara

Serving plates at the luncheon were decorated with Bajra Kadhi, Jowar Roti and Kodo Dryfruit Kheer

Raipur, TNINS / On the invitation of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, the members of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly attended the Millet Luncheon organized at Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel said that he enjoyed all the millet delicacies but liked ragi pudding the best. He further said that year 2023 has been declared as Millet year. Last year, we procured 52 thousand quintals of Kodo, Kutki, Ragi. Chhattisgarh is the only state of the country that procures Kodo Kutki Ragi at support price and this procurement has largely benefited the farmers and enhanced the production. He said that millets have high nutritional value and hence these should be incorporated in daily diet. 

Recently Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has praised the Millet Mission of Chhattisgarh. And as per his request and suggestions, Millet Cafes are being opened in Mantralaya and Divisional C-mart Centers.

It is notable that a luncheon was organized for all the members of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly with the aim of popularizing and showcasing the dishes made from millet. In the same sequence, various delicious items made of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi were prepared and served for the lunch on Wednesday.

Menu full of the amazing dishes of Ragi, Kodo, Kutki

  All kinds of delicacies made of millets were served to the MLAs at the Millets luncheon. These dishes were inspired by the indigenous cuisine of Chhattisgarh. Ragi soup, ragi pakodas, kodo bhajiya, bajra and jaggery pudding, kutki fare, ragi, kutki cheela for starters, Chhattisgarhi bajra curry, laal bhaji, sweet potatoes, Kodo veg Pulao, jowar, bajra, ragi roti and paratha in the main course were relished by all. Moreover, Ragi Kutki's Cupcake, Ragi Ka Halwa, and Kodo's Dry Fruits Kheer were served in the desert.

Appreciated by the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had recently appreciated the Millet Mission of Chhattisgarh. During his stay in Delhi, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel had informed Prime Minister Mr. Modi about the Millets Mission being run in the state, on which Mr. Modi had advised to open Millets Cafe in Raipur. It is notable that the Millet Mission was started by the state government from 01 December 2021with chief objective of promoting the cultivation of millets (Kodo, Kutki, Ragi, Jowar etc.), to promote the processing of millets and to encourage inclusion of these nutritious millets in the daily diet. 

The biggest processing unit in Kanker

State Government is procuring Kodo, Kutki and Ragi at minimum support price through Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Association. In the year 2021-22, nearly 52,728 quintals of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi worth Rs 16.03 crore were procured. To promote the processing of millet in the state, processing centers have been set up at the local level and a millet processing center of 5,000 ton capacity has been set up in the private sector by Avani Ayurveda in Kanker district. This is Asia's largest millets processing unit.

Millets included in the mid-day meal menu to remove malnutrition Millets have also been included under the mid-day meal program conducted in Chhattisgarh. With an aim to eradicate malnutrition in the state, children in schools are being served the dishes made of millets in the mid-day meal. These include cookies made of millets, laddoos and soya chikki.

Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to procure millets at support price

It is noteworthy that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to procure millets at the support price. Under this mission operated in 14 districts of the state, the support price of Kodo-Kutki-Ragi has been fixed, and the arrangements have been made for collection through women self-help groups under the Chhattisgarh Small Forest Produce Cooperative Union. Farmers are being provided exchange grants for millet crops under the ambit of Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. Expert advice has been made available to the farmers to further enhance crop productivity. For this, an MoU has been signed between the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad (IIMR) and 14 District Collectors of the state. IIMR has also taken the responsibility of providing good quality seeds of Kodo, Kutki, Ragi, and proper training of millet farming to the farmers, besides extending the support in setting up the seed bank.

 TNINS 

Hardworking women of Chhattisgarh are being provided better opportunities through multiactivity centers set up in Gauthans. And making the best of these opportunities and resources, women of the state are writing a new story of self-dependence. Among such talented women is Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha, a member of Akash women self-help group, who works in the community farm operated in the Gauthan of Basantpur village of Balrampur-Ramanujganj district. Sonmati has earned Rs 7 lakh in the last 3 years by cultivating mushrooms. This has not only boosted her confidence, but has also helped her meet the financial needs of her family.

It may be noted that financial empowerment of women has been among the top priorities of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel. In the same sequence, gauthans are being developed as multiactivity centers, where women of self-help groups are being provided the guidance and training for livelihood enhancement.

Horticulture Departmet is not only encouraging the women groups in Balrampur-Ramanujganj district to produce mushroom, but is also providing the required training and guidance for the mushroom cultivation. Besides, the department is also providing seeds, polythene bags, chalk powder to the women groups for this work. As a result of these strategic efforts of the Department, the women of Akash women self-help group have become self-reliant by cultivating mushrooms, bee keeping and producing Kashmiri chillies in the community yard of Basantpur Gauthan.

Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha further told that earlier she was dependent on simple farming work for livelihood, facing great difficulty to make the both ends meet. She had to face a lot of difficulties in raising the family, bearing the expenses of children's education. Under the ambitious Suraji Gram Yojana of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, gauthan was opened in Basantpur and was brought under Bihan. In this gauthan, Horticulture Department started providing the training in mushroom production, Kashmiri chilli cultivation, and beekeeping. 

Sonmati took a loan from the group and started mushroom cultivation at home

      Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha told that she took a loan of Rs. 60 thousand from the group and started mushroom cultivation at home. In the initial phase itself, she earned an income of Rs. 2 lakh. Later, she also started the work of beekeeping and Kashmiri chili cultivation. She produced 60 kg of honey and earned Rs 70 thousand. Mrs. Kushwaha said that she had daily production of 20 to 30 kg of mushrooms, by selling which she has earned an income of Rs 7 lakh in the last 3 years. With this income, she is comfortably fulfilling the financial needs of her family.

 TNINS 

The state-level Chhattisgarhiya Olympics 2022-23 is to be held from January 08 to 10, 2023 at various sports grounds and the Indoor Stadium in the capital Raipur. The opening ceremony of the state-level Chhattisgarhia Olympics will be held on January 8 at Sardar Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium from 11 am. Competitions of 14 sports disciplines in the Chhattisgarhiya Olympics are to be held at Sardar Balbir Singh Juneja Stadium, Outdoor Stadium Budhapara, Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla Vishwavidyalaya Sports Complex, and Swami Vivekananda Stadium Kota.

Various cultural programs will be performed by the participants in the opening and closing ceremonies. There will also be an attractive fireworks display at the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony will be organized at Swami Vivekananda Stadium Kota in the evening of January 10 at Raipur. It may be noted that earlier the state-level Chhattisgarhiya Olympics was to be held from January 7 to 9 was fixed for the state-level sports competition, which has been changed from January 8 to 10.

 55 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been lifted from the societies for custom milling

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, the amount of paddy procured at support price from farmers of the state is increasing consistently towards the estimated target of 110 lakh metric tonnes. It will continue till January 31, 2023. Officials of the Food department informed that 80.55 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been procured, in lieu of which Rs.16,217 crore has been paid to 19.33 lakh farmers of the state under the bank linking system till now. 

It is noteworthy that same as the last year, under the able guidance of the Chief Minister, along with paddy procurement this year, the work of custom milling is also under-process smoothly. Till now DO has been issued for the lifting of 68 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, in lieu of which 55 metric tonnes of paddy has been lifted by the millers.

Officials informed that today i.e. on January 02, 1.65 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been purchased from 44 thousand farmers in the state, apart from this, more than 23 thousand tonnes of paddy have also been purchased from the farmers through tokens obtained online. Nearly 7608 tokens have been issued online through the 'Token Tuhar Haath' app and more than 55.44 thousand tokens have been issued by other means for the next paddy procurement day.

This year 25.92 lakh farmers have been registered in the state and about 2.26 lakh are newly registered farmers. 2600 procurement centers have been set up for paddy procurement in the state. Normal paddy is being procured at the rate of Rs.2040 per quintal and grade-A paddy is being procured at Rs.2060 per quintal. A strict vigil is also being kept on the system of paddy procurement in the state. Goods carriers are being inspected at check posts to prevent illegal transportation of paddy from border states.

 Raipur, TNINS 

Chief Minister Mr Bhupesh Baghel paid tribute to former Lok Sabha MP, former Union Minister, and pioneer of journalism Mr Chandulal Chandrakar on his birth anniversary which falls on January 1. Recalling the contribution of Mr Chandrakar to Chhattisgarh, Mr. Baghel said that Chandulal Chandrakar ji has an invaluable contribution in the formation of Chhattisgarh state. He gave a new direction to the state's movement as the president of the all-party forum. He was elected to the Lok Sabha five times and continued to serve the public. He did remarkable work during his tenure as minister of important departments like tourism, civil aviation, agriculture, and rural development.

Mr. Baghel said that Chandulal Ji was involved in active journalism before politics and earned a lot of fame as a journalist in the country and abroad. He was the first person from Chhattisgarh to reach the post of editor of a national newspaper. He raised many crucial matters with his writing. In order to encourage value-based journalism, the Government of Chhattisgarh has started to give Chandulal Chandrakar Fellowship in the field of journalism in his memory. Mr. Chandulal Chandrakar, who brought glory to Chhattisgarh in the country with fearless and value-based journalism, is a source of inspiration for the new generation.

 TNINS 

Beneficiaries express gratitude towards the Chief Minister

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel announced financial assistance to various beneficiaries in the Balod district during the statewide Bhent-Mulaqat Abhiyan. Accordingly, the beneficiaries have been handed over the cheques for financial assistance. Parliamentary Secretary and Gunderdehi MLA Mr. Kunwar Singh Nishad handed over a cheque of Rs.2 lakh to Mrs. Devki Sahu for her education and a cheque of Rs.1 lakh to Kumari Gumja from a voluntary grant by visiting her residence.

MLA Mrs. Sangeeta Sinha and former MLA Mr. Bhaiyaram Sinha handed over a cheque of Rs.2 lakhs as financial assistance from the Chief Minister's voluntary grant to Mr. Shivendra Kumar for studies. He is hailing from the Sanjari-Balod assembly constituency. Similarly, a cheque of Rs.4 lakh was handed over to Ms. Jyoti Chakradhari for her performance in a national-level sports competition and Rs.1 lakh to Mrs. Asrita Dayal for treatment due to her weak economic condition. Both of them hail from the Dondilohara assembly constituency. The beneficiaries have expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel for receiving the cheques as financial assistance.

 More than 37 lakh people got free treatment so far

Raipur TNINS 

More than 37 lakh people have got free treatment under the Mukhyamantri Shehri Slum Swasthya Yojana started by the state government with an objective to make healthcare accessible and affordable for people living in urban slums. 

Under the scheme, free-of-cost facilities including doctor's consultations, medical tests, and medicines are being provided in all urban areas across the state through dedicated 120 well-equipped mobile medical units. Through this scheme, apart from providing the facility of medical tests to nearly 8.32 lakh, free medicines have been distributed to more than 30.94 lakh patients. The beneficiaries also include about 2.59 lakh laborers.

Under this scheme, run by the Urban Administration and Development Department of the Chhattisgarh Government, so far 49, 192 camps have been organized in the slums of 169 urban bodies of the state. Urban Administration and Development Minister Dr. Shivkumar Dahariya has given instructions to the departmental officers to provide free medicines to the underprivileged and needy people after health check-ups.

It is worth mentioning that the first phase of this scheme was started on 01 November 2020 with 60 mobile medical units to provide health facilities to the people living in slums of 14 municipal corporation areas of the state. Keeping in view the success of this scheme, the scope of the scheme was expanded to all urban bodies of the state on March 31, 2022, with the addition of 60 new mobile medical units.

TNINS

Under the Mukhyamantri Mitan Yojana started by the Chhattisgarh Government, people in urban areas are being provided official services at home. Under the scheme, about 47400 people have booked appointments to obtain official documents at their homes so far. More than 37700 citizens have received important official documents at their doorsteps. So far, more than about 96000 citizens have called the Mitan Yojana’s toll-free number 14545, and obtained information on receiving relevant official documents. Under the directions of the Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel and the Urban Administration Development Department, the Mukhyamantri Mitan Yojana was started on 01 May 2022 to provide a home-delivery service of important official documents for the state’s citizens. 

Services under the Mitan Yojana include the home delivery of official documents like birth certificates, correction in the birth certificate, death certificates, correction in the death certificate, domicile certificates, marriage registration certificates, income certificates, OBC certificates, SC/ST certificates, shop and establishment registration certificates, land record copy, land notification (land use), Aadhar card registration, correction in the address and mobile number in Aadhar card for children up to 5 years of age, application for PAN number, PAN update, and duplicates. This service has helped people save labor, time, and money and they no longer have to visit Government offices again and again. The Mitan Yojana in Chhattisgarh has helped in extending facilities to citizens. The state residents are receiving official services at their doorsteps with the help of Mitan.

 Lord Jesus symbolizes love and brotherhood that can defeat violence, hatred, jealousy, and sorrow: Mr. Bhupesh Baghel

The Chief Minister joined the prayers after reaching St. Joseph's Cathedral and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Christmas greetings from Chief Minister Mr. Baghel to the Christian society and the people of the state

wished for the happiness and prosperity of the state

Raipur, TNINS 

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel reached the St. Joseph's Cathedral and St. Paul's Cathedral in the capital Raipur today and prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of the state. He extended Christmas greetings and best wishes to all the residents of the state including the Christian community.

        On this occasion, Chief Minister Mr. Baghel said  "today the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ is being celebrated with great pomp all over the world. Cakes and sweets are being made in all the houses,  children have also dressed up for the big day of Christmas celebration. The message of Lord Jesus is applicable to the whole of humanity. He told that only through compassion, love, and service we can reach God, this is the way by which we can win over hatred, jealousy and anger prevailing in life. In this message of Jesus Christ, there is brotherhood and love which can defeat the violence, hatred, jealousy and sorrow spread in the world today". Chief Minister Mr. Baghel said that we should serve humanity by following the message of the Lord Jesus to take this human civilization to greater heights of progress. He said that today, on this auspicious day, while offering prayers to Lord Jesus Christ, I congratulate and wish you all."

     On this occasion, Chief Minister Mr. Baghel celebrated Christmas day by cutting the cake with the people present in the Cathedral. Everyone in the church prayed to the Lord and the church choir presented carols. Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel was welcomed by the Christian community and he was presented with a bouquet and shawl. On this occasion, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Housing Board Mr. Kuldeep Juneja, Chairman of the Minorities Commission Mr. Mahendra Chhabra, Mayor Mr. Aijaz Dhebar, Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Vicar General Father Sebastian P., Chief Priest, Father Jose Philip, Basant Tirkey, Father Croslin etc. attended. Similarly, at St. Paul's Cathedral, Bishop the Right Reverend Ajay Umesh James, Pastor Ajay Martin, Deacon Marcus Keju, Deacon K. Khunte, Deacon A. Corey, Deacon Abraham Ras and Diocese Spokesperson Mr. John Rajesh Paul were present along with large number of people from the Christian community.

 TNINS 

Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel paid tribute to freedom fighter Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee by offering flowers on their photographs at his residence office here today. Recalling the contribution of Shri Malviya towards the country, Chief Minister said that Malviya ji dedicated his entire life for the freedom of the country. He served Mother India with utmost reverence and determination. Malviya ji was a great educationist, excellent speaker and a national leader. He established Banaras Hindu University, a major center of education in India. He is respectfully known as Mahamana. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel said that the dedication and values with which Malviya ji laid the foundation of nationalism in India is exemplary for every Indian.

 Remembering Atal ji on the occasion, Chief Minister said that he was a multifaceted personality. He is known for his political and personal integrity. Apart from being a skilled politician, Atal ji was also an energetic speaker and poet. He said that Bajpai ji will always be remembered for his dignified persona, his contributions for the country and his inspirational poems.

 TNINS

Transport Minister distributed subsidy amount of more than Rs 80 lakhs to 404 beneficiaries under electric vehicle policy

Transport Minister Shri Mohammad Akbar on Thursday distributed subsidy amounting to Rs 80 lakh 37 thousand 128 to 404 beneficiaries across the state under Electric Vehicle Policy 2022. He congratulated the beneficiaries and said that every possible initiative is being taken as per directions of Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel to promote electric vehicles in Chhattisgarh.

Transport Minister Shri Akbar said on the occasion that any person who purchases an electric vehicle is entitled to the subsidy provided by the state government. For this, they have to provide the account number and IFSC code to the vehicle seller/dealer. 10 per cent of the value of the vehicle, a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh, will be directly transferred to the account of the e-vehicle buyer by the transport department. 

Secretary Transport Shri S. Prakash, Transport Commissioner Shri Dipanshu Kabra, Joint Transport Commissioner Shri Vedvrat Sirmour, RTO Raipur Shri Shailabh Sahu, and Scientist Shri Amit Dewangan were present on the occasion. 

Transport Minister Shri Akbar said on the occasion that it is the need of the hour to promote the use of electric vehicles in view of the persisting global problem of air pollution today. In keeping with this spirit, all possible help is being provided by the state government to encourage the mission to promote electric vehicles in Chhattisgarh. Subsidies are being distributed to attract buyers to purchase e-vehicles.

Transport Minister Shri Akbar further informed that petrol and diesel are being used for the operation of vehicles in Chhattisgarh. For the fulfillment of the same, there is dependence on other countries and their prices are also rising continuously. In such a situation, the electric vehicle has emerged as a good alternative and we need to adopt this. 

On the occasion, Automobile Dealers Association office-bearers heaped praise on the efforts being made by the state government saying that Chhattisgarh is the only state in the country to give subsidies even for hybrid vehicles. Transport Minister Shri Akbar also had a virtual discussion with the Chamber of Commerce President Shri Amar Parwani, F.A.D.A. President Shri Manish Singhania, RADA President Shri Vivek Garg, Shri Anil Agrawal, and other automobile dealers and beneficiaries.

  'Nyay ke chaar saal': Significant decisions taken for the tribal welfare in the state

TNINS 

(LD Manikpuri, Assistant Information Officer, Public Relations)

Chhattisgarh is a rural and tribal dominated state. The state is blessed with rich folk culture and the traditional lifestyle of the tribals living in the remote Vananchal areas of Bastar-Surguja is filled with beautiful traditions and natural beauty of this place can captivate everyone's mind. Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel has completed 4 years of his term with effective governance policies, be it for farmers,tribals,labourers,students,women. These four years have lead to a new dawn of development and progress of the state in various avenues. December 17, 2018 which is going to be celebrated as 'Rajya Gaurav divas' marks a significant date in the history of Chhattisgarh. It is Noteworthy that it is the first time in twenty two years of the state's formation, that Mr. Baghel,a farmer's son hailing from OBC background has risen up to take oath as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. 

Immediately after taking oath as Chief Minister, the whole convoy along with his cabinet headed towards the largest administrative center of the state i.e. Mahanadi Bhavan, Mantralaya in Naya Raipur and it is from here that the process of intensive discussion for the much needed tribal interests was started. The first decision taken in the interest of the tribals came with the return of the tribal land of the farmers of Lohandiguda,Bastar which had been acquired by a big MNC to set up a steel plant. Within just two months of forming the government, on February 16, 2019, the documents for 4200 acres of land of 1707 farmers were returned to them. Choosing the path of Nyay (justice), Bhupesh government increased the tendu leaf collection rate from twenty five hundred rupees to four thousand rupees per standard bag, giving a significant gift to uplift more than 12 lakh tendu leaf collectors. During the current year 2022, about 18 lakh standard bags of tendu leaves have been collected, which is more than 94 percent of the target. On the other hand, on the initiative of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, the varieties of minor forest produce procured on support price have been increased from 7 to 65.

Chhattisgarh is the leading state in terms of procuring Minor Forest Produce at maximum value which has benefitted  48 thousand women self-help group members through forest produce collection. 134 products have been processed and sold under the  Chhattisgarh 'Herbal Brand', as well as marketing work of about 200 products is going on through 30 Sanjivani Kendras. At the same time, the collection rates of minor forest produce were also increased. Under Shaheed Mahendra Karma Tendupatta Sangrahak Samajik Sahayta yojna, insurance claim amount of more than 71.08 crore has been paid to 4692 Tendupatta collector families. Ten thousand youth groups have been formed in 85 tribal development blocks under the 'Indira Van Mitan Yojana', benefiting 19 lakh families. After reviewing the cancelled Forest Rights lease(Pattas)  under the Forest Rights Act, so far more than four and a half lakh 55 thousand individual forest rights letters,  46 thousand community forest rights letters and about four thousand community forest resource rights letters have been distributed.

The Bhupesh government took an important decision to withdraw the cases registered against the tribals. A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of retired Honorable Justice Shri AK Patnaik,  Supreme Court. The Bhupesh government has also taken several steps in the direction of providing employment to the tribal youth with numerous initiatives. The recruitment drive of teachers for Bastar and Surguja divisions started with the commendable initiative to give priority to local residents in district level and divisional level third and fourth class posts for these two divisions. In all the districts of Bastar division, local youth are also being given jobs under the special force 'Bastar Fighters'.

It was on the initiative of  Chief Minister that 300 schools which were closed for the last 13 years were reopened in the naxal affected  Jagargunda of Sukma district. With the re-opening of the school, the happiness of the children and the enthusiasm of the parents are being evidently seen here. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel had started the 'Chief Minister Haat-Bazar Clinic Scheme' in the year 2019 on the day of Gandhi Jayanti  to make health services accessible to remote and far flung villages falling amidst forests, mountains, rivers, forests. So far, more than one lakh camps have been organized in about 2 thousand haat-bazaars and more than 62 lakh people have been treated. Malaria positivity rate in Bastar division has come down from 4.60 percent to 0.21 under Malaria-free Chhattisgarh campaign. In the last four years, there has been a 65 percent reduction in the cases of malaria in Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel has started a universal PDS scheme to ensure that everyone gets enough food, under which about 21 lakh Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries have benefited from it. Be it Chief Minister's nutrition campaign or Madhur Gud Yojana, development of Devgudis or increase in honorarium of boatmen, executive,membrins , or declaring a public holiday on World Tribal Day. Mr. Bhupesh Baghel has taken many steps for  the welfare and upliftment of rural populace and tribals as well. It is noteworthy that the first time after the formation of Chhattisgarh state, Mr. Baghel has brought Chhattisgarh's tribal folk art, folk dance and folk culture to the fore by organizing numerous initiatives like National Tribal Dance Festival to promote the rich culture of Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Mr. Baghel has been moving forward with the concept of 'Garhbo Nava Chhattisgarh' in the last four years. Certainly, these schemes have raised the standard of living of the tribals and the trust of the common people towards the Bhupesh government has also increased with the work done towards the inclusive and holistic development of the tribals and the state.