Raipur, February 5: In a significant cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, the Chhattisgarh government approved several key initiatives aimed at combating drug abuse and terrorism, enhancing digital governance, and promoting aviation training and the startup ecosystem.
To tackle the growing drug problem, the cabinet sanctioned the formation of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces at the district level in ten districts: Raipur, Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Durg, Bastar, Surguja, Kabirdham, Jashpur, Rajnandgaon, and Korba. The state budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 has allocated funding for 100 new positions to facilitate stringent actions against narcotics in sensitive and high-risk areas.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the establishment of a Special Operations Group under the police headquarters’ Special Branch. This group will consist of 44 newly created positions and will be specially trained to respond swiftly to emergencies, terrorist attacks, or serious threats, ensuring public safety.
The cabinet also greenlit guidelines for establishing flight training organizations at various airports and airstrips through private partnerships. This initiative aims to provide local pilot training facilities, meet the rising demand in the aviation sector, create job opportunities for youth, and promote activities such as aircraft recycling, helicopter services, and aero sports.
In a move to foster economic innovation, the cabinet approved the Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy for 2025-26. This policy aims to strengthen the startup ecosystem, support incubators and stakeholders, position Chhattisgarh as a leading innovation hub nationally, and improve the state’s ranking in the national startup index to attract investment.
Regarding urban development, the cabinet decided to transfer 35 completed residential colonies, built by the Chhattisgarh Housing Board and Raipur Development Authority, to the respective municipal corporations and councils. These colonies include open plots, parks, and public amenities, while saleable residential, commercial, or semi-public properties will remain excluded.
Furthermore, the Nawa Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority received approval to construct a large multi-story building for government departments and corporations to optimize land use. To expedite planned riverbank development in the Sirpur and Arpa areas, district collectors have been granted the authority to allocate government land at a nominal premium of one rupee and land rent.
The cabinet also decided to implement the Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy, mandating all state departments, enterprises, and autonomous institutions to utilize only approved Indian cloud service providers or secure domestic data centers. Lower-priority systems will transition to the cloud by 2027-28, while higher-priority systems will do so by 2029-30. New applications will be cloud-based from the outset, reducing costs, enhancing cybersecurity, ensuring uninterrupted services during disasters, and providing 24/7 access to citizens.
Additionally, the cabinet approved a mobile tower scheme to enhance digital connectivity, aiming to improve communication facilities in geographically challenging and Naxal-affected areas.
