Cabinet Decisions : Date: 04 February 2026

05-Feb-2026 59

TNINS

Raipur : At the Cabinet Meeting held today at Mantralaya (Mahanadi Bhavan), under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, several important decisions were taken:

1. Major decision to curb narcotics

In a significant step towards preventing substance abuse, the Cabinet has approved the creation of 100 new posts provisioned in the Main Budget 2025–26 in order to constitute District-Level Anti-Narcotics Task Forces in 10 districts of the state. These districts include Raipur, Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Durg, Bastar, Surguja, Kabirdham, Jashpur, Rajnandgaon and Korba.

2. Approval for Special Operations Group (SOG)

The Cabinet has approved 44 new posts, as provisioned in the Main Budget for financial year 2025–26, for the formation of a Special Operations Group (SOG) under the Special Branch of Police Headquarters. The SOG will be responsible for reaching the site immediately in the event of any major or sudden incident, managing the situation on the ground, and swiftly neutralising terrorist attacks or other serious threats. The SOG will be a specially trained unit prepared to handle high-risk and sensitive operations.

3. Establishment of Flight Training Organisations (FTOs)

The Cabinet has taken an important decision to establish Flight Training Organisations (FTOs) at various airports and airstrips in the state and approved the operational guidelines for the same. Under this initiative, pilot training facilities will be developed in Chhattisgarh. Considering the growing demand in the aviation sector and the need to create employment opportunities for youth, these institutions will prove highly beneficial. The initiative will also promote facilities such as aircraft recycling, helicopter bunking and aero sports. The Flight Training Organisations will be established through private participation.

4. Approval of Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy 2025–26

The Cabinet has approved "Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy 2025–26". This policy will strengthen the startup ecosystem, along with the development of incubators and other stakeholders. It aims to position Chhattisgarh as a leading innovation hub in the country. Improvement in the State Startup Ranking issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, will enhance the state’s attractiveness for investment.

5. Handover of completed residential colonies to urban local bodies

The Cabinet has decided to hand over 35 completed residential colonies developed by Chhattisgarh Housing Board and Raipur Development Authority to Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils. These colonies include open plots, gardens and other public amenities. However, residential, commercial and semi-public saleable properties will not be included in the transfer.

Due to the absence of formal transfer so far, residents have been deprived of several basic civic amenities and have been burdened with dual expenses for maintenance. While paying property tax to municipal bodies, residents have also been required to pay maintenance charges to the Housing Board. With the transfer of these colonies, urban local bodies will be able to provide essential services such as water supply, electricity, roads and sanitation, and residents will receive relief from additional maintenance charges.

6. Construction of a large multi-storey building at Nava Raipur Atal Nagar

The Cabinet has approved construction of a large multi-storey building by the Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority for offices of government departments and corporations at Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. Space will be allocated to various departments to ensure optimal utilisation of land.

7. Empowering Collectors for planned development of Sirpur and Arpa areas

To ensure planned development and accelerate development works in Sirpur and Arpa regions, the Cabinet has authorised the District Collectors concerned to allot government land in these areas.

It is noteworthy that the Sirpur Special Area Development Authority and the Arpa Special Area Development Authority aim to ensure planned and integrated development of the respective riverine areas. Effective implementation of the master plan, land-use planning and urban development schemes are essential for this purpose. To expedite development works, allotment of government land was necessary. Considering the current financial position of both authorities, it has been decided to allot government land at a premium and lease rent of Rs 1/-. The authority to allot land has been vested with the respective District Collectors.

8. Approval for implementation of Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy

The Cabinet has approved the implementation of the “Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy” in the state. The proposal was presented by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh.

Under this policy, all the departments, undertakings and autonomous institutions of the state government will procure cloud services only from cloud service providers approved by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, or from secure data centres and disaster recovery centres located in India. For any special or exceptional requirement, prior permission from the State Cloud Council will be mandatory.

As per the policy, migration of low-priority applications and archival data to the cloud will be completed by 2027–28, while migration of high-priority services will be undertaken by 2029–30. All new applications will be developed using cloud-native technologies.

The Cabinet has authorised the Department of Electronics and Information Technology to make necessary amendments to the policy in the future. The policy will lead to reduced IT infrastructure costs, improved operational efficiency, enhanced cyber security, continuity of services during disasters, and round-the-clock availability of citizen services. It will also further strengthen data security, transparency and tracking mechanisms.

9. Approval of Mobile Tower Scheme to expand digital infrastructure

The Cabinet has approved the Mobile Tower Scheme to expand digital infrastructure in Chhattisgarh. Due to geographical challenges and limited mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, effective implementation of government schemes has been hindered. Under this scheme, the process of granting permissions and administrative approvals to selected service providers for the installation of mobile towers will be simplified and made time-bound.

Under the Mobile Tower Scheme, towers will be installed in selected habitations currently without mobile network coverage. Enhanced digital connectivity will boost the rural economy, expand e-governance services and promote socio-economic development. The scheme will also strengthen security arrangements, particularly in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, by improving communication facilities, thereby enhancing transparency and efficiency in administrative functioning. With the implementation of this scheme, services and schemes such as the Public Distribution System, Direct Benefit Transfer, health services, education, emergency services including Dial 112, will become more easily accessible to citizens in remote areas.