Important decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting held today at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai –
1. In a significant decision to promote employment, empowerment, convergence of departmental schemes and digital governance in rural areas, the Council of Ministers today approved the draft “Developed India – Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural): VB-G Ram Ji Yojana Chhattisgarh”. This scheme, being implemented in accordance with the Government of India Act, 2025, will provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of unskilled labor-based employment in every financial year to adult members of eligible rural families.
This scheme will address water conservation, natural resource management, rural infrastructure development, livelihood asset development, and the creation of sustainable employment opportunities in rural areas. This scheme will promote integrated development based on Gram Panchayats, convergence of departmental schemes, and coordination with PM Gati Shakti. Transparency, good governance, and accountability will be strengthened by utilizing modern technology and digital systems for better planning and monitoring of development works.
The ratio of expenditure between the Centre and the State in the implementation of this scheme will be 60:40 and a provision of Rs 4,000 crore has been made in the State Budget for the financial year 2026-27.
2. The Cabinet meeting took an important decision to launch the “Atal Aajeevika Samriddhi Haat” scheme to strengthen the rural economy and create new employment opportunities at the local level. Under this scheme, creation centers (handloom, weaving, handicrafts, etc.), processing units (pulses, oilseeds, rice mills, dairy, etc.), service centers (cold storage, solar dryers, agricultural equipment repair, Atal Digital Center, etc.), marketing centers, and supply centers will be established in rural areas.
The objective of this scheme is to promote local production, processing, service, and marketing activities by optimally utilizing available infrastructure and machinery. This will provide new employment and self-employment opportunities for villagers within their own areas and provide better markets for local products. For implementation of the scheme, the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihoods Mission has been designated as the nodal agency and the Panchayat and Rural Development Department as the nodal department.
Through “Atal Aajeevika Samriddhi Haat”, agriculture, food processing, service business, digital technology, green energy and rural markets will get a new impetus and the rural livelihood of the state will get a strong foundation.
3. The Council of Ministers also approved the draft “Chhattisgarh Compressed Biogas Policy (CG-CBG Policy), 2026” today. This policy will scientifically manage agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, livestock waste, and other organic resources available in the state and convert them into compressed biogas, a clean gaseous fuel.
This policy will provide new impetus to waste management, environmental protection, greenhouse gas emission reduction, bio-fertilizer production, and the rural economy. According to the Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision 2047, the state has the potential to produce approximately 5 lakh tonnes of CBD annually. For the implementation of this policy, the Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority has been authorized to act as the state nodal agency, and the Energy Department has been authorized to issue necessary guidelines and administrative orders.