Chief Minister hoisted the national flag in Ambikapur on Republic Day
Remembered the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the contribution of the constitution makers
5.62 lakh landless agricultural laborers in the state will get Rs 10 thousand annually
49 thousand crore rupees transferred to the accounts of farmers for their prosperity
New path of development opened in Naxal-affected area: Bastar will soon be completely free from Naxal terror
Raipur 26 January 2025: Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai hoisted the national flag at the PG College ground of Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja division, on the occasion of 76th Republic Day and took the salute of the joint parade. Chief Minister Sai read out the message to the general public on this occasion. He congratulated and wished the people of the state on Republic Day. Addressing the Republic Day celebrations, Chief Minister Sai said that today is a very proud day for all of us. Today we are celebrating the Republic of the country. Behind this is the sacrifice of those freedom fighters who gave freedom to India, the contribution of those constitution makers who made India the world’s largest democracy through this constitution. The contribution of those great personalities who always stood firm for the protection of the constitution and kept doing the welfare of Antyodaya by following the values of the constitution. While fighting Naxalism, many soldiers gave the supreme sacrifice for the unity and integrity of the country so that we can remain safe and peace can be established in the society. I salute the martyrdom of these soldiers. Along with India’s journey of independence, many countries of the world also started their journey of independence, but in many of these countries the governance system went off track and the people there are forced to face anarchy today. On the strength of its historical roots of republican traditions and its excellent constitution, India is not only standing firm as a democratic nation but is also constantly touching new heights of progress.
The Chief Minister said that the Constitution of India is a sacred document. It is inspired by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It was prepared by the citizens of a nation whose feelings are rooted in the thought of world brotherhood and human welfare. The thinking of our freedom struggle is fully reflected in our Constitution. When the members of the Constituent Assembly from our Chhattisgarh were preparing the Constitution under the leadership of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, they must have had ideals like the egalitarian message of Baba Guru Ghasidas ji, the story of the struggle of Shaheed Veernarayan Singh ji and the anti-untouchability struggle of Pandit Sundarlal Sharma ji. Baba Saheb had beautifully woven the thoughts of all these in the form of the final draft.
The responsibility of protecting and preserving the heritage of this republic is in the hands of us and the future generations. Our republic teaches us Satyameva Jayate. This sutra sentence of Mundaka Upanishad tells us that no matter how dark it is, we should not lose hope. Ultimately truth always wins. We have seen the victory of this spirit of our republic in the severely Naxal-affected areas. In these areas, Maoism had not only made the life of the common man hell with its violent ideology, but was also planning to establish a gun-cracy to challenge the Republic of India. Our security forces are constantly fighting against them. By making a new strategy under the leadership of the successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have worked to destroy the cancer of Maoism. To destroy this cancer, it was necessary to attack its roots. Our soldiers attacked the safest hideouts of the Maoists. Its results were very good. Within a year, we killed more than 260 terrorists of the Maoist cadre. The dark tunnel has opened, the light that has emerged has spread the light of development in Bastar. When Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji came to Chhattisgarh last month, an old lady from village Gundam in Bastar came to him, she presented him a basket of forest produce and said that destroy Maoism completely. When the intention of the government, the courage of the soldiers and the determination of the people come together, no violent ideology can survive. Maoism is now on its last legs in Bastar. Soon Bastar will be completely free from Naxal terror.
The Chief Minister said that along with freedom from terror, the path of development has also opened up in the Naxal-affected areas of Bastar. The medium for this has been the Niyyad Nella Nar Yojana run by our government. After a long time, bells rang in schools, solid arrangements for water and electricity were ensured. Aadhar cards were made and Ayushman cards were also made. Bastar is now full of enthusiasm. We organized Bastar Olympics here. 1 lakh 65 thousand people from all over Bastar participated. Among them were families affected by Naxal violence. There were also surrendered Naxalites and there were also Divyangjans who had lost their limbs in Naxal violence. The enthusiasm of the players in this Maha Kumbh of sports was worth seeing, it was a very emotional moment for all of us, Bastar Olympics became the identity of the new Bastar.
With farmers at every step People coming from farmer families have also seen that time of farming when after growing paddy with hard work, farmers used to take paddy to the market, and had to sell it at a very low price. The family was run with great difficulty. After Kharif, they had no option but to go to other states and work as labourers. When respected Atal ji created the state of Chhattisgarh, the system of paddy procurement was also started. To ensure that no one sleeps hungry in the rice bowl, the Chief Minister Foodgrain Assistance Scheme was also started. This work was done in such a systematic manner that Chhattisgarh became a model state of food security in the country.
I remember that after the formation of Chhattisgarh, paddy procurement in the initial phase was around 4.63 lakh metric tonnes. Last time this figure touched 145 lakh metric tonnes. This happened because our government is giving the best price of paddy to the farmer brothers. We purchased paddy from the farmer brothers at Rs 3100 per quintal and 21 quintals per acre. As per the promise made to the farmers, we also gave two years’ pending bonus to 13 lakh farmers. Due to all this, in the last session, we transferred Rs 49 thousand crore to the accounts of farmer brothers. Paddy procurement is going on rapidly in the state for about two and a half months. We are continuously giving the amount of support price in the accounts of farmers. Our government has decided to send the difference amount of Rs 800 per quintal as input assistance to the farmer brothers’ accounts in the month of February. Along with this, we have also launched Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Kalyan Yojana for landless agricultural laborers in the state. Under this, we are providing 10 thousand rupees annually to 5 lakh 62 thousand landless farmers. This is the result of good resolutions and good intentions. Farmers of Chhattisgarh are very happy today. Migration has stopped and farmers are investing in farming because they are getting good income from farming.
He said that the double engine government is not only providing fair price to the farmers for their crops, but is also working to make farming hi-tech. Now the spraying of pesticides in the fields is being done by Drone Didi. Drone Didi’s drone does the work of hours in minutes. You must have seen in the recent years that climate change is happening rapidly. Sometimes the monsoon comes late, and sometimes it rains untimely. We have also made solid preparations to deal with this big crisis. We have prepared such seeds, which are capable of dealing with the challenge of climate change. We have opened the way for new enterprises for farmers through FPO. Open way for White Revolution in Chhattisgarh Our illustrious Prime Minister Narendra Modi always says that if we want to double the income of farmers, then we will have to promote animal husbandry. We all have seen the use of Amul in co-operatives. India brought about White Revolution in the form of Amul through NDDB i.e. National Dairy Development Board. We have opened the way for White Revolution in Chhattisgarh as well. Last month, we signed an MoU with NDDB. Through this MoU, technical information and training will be provided to the committees associated with Chhattisgarh Milk Federation. Currently, 621 cooperative societies are working for milk production in the state. Now 3200 new cooperative societies will be formed. After this MoU, not only will more than 1.25 lakh farmers be associated with milk producing committees, its biggest benefit will be that our children’s diet will include more amount of protein in the form of milk. Our government is committed to increasing the livelihood of citizens in accordance with the ideals of Antyodaya of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. New Industry Policy Creates Better Investment Environment in the State Chief Minister Sai said- Our land is a gem. Chhattisgarh is incomparable in terms of mineral wealth. We are second in the country in the production of coal and iron. We have 20% of the country’s bauxite reserves. The whole world is adopting electric vehicles and India is not far behind in this. Lithium is needed for the batteries of electric vehicles and its reserves are in our Korba, Sukma and Bastar districts. Our government has done historic work to fulfill the need to exploit these mineral resources for the economic development of the state. Today, go anywhere in Chhattisgarh, you will be welcomed by wide roads and flyovers. When the work of the expressway connecting Chhattisgarh to cities like Ranchi, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam is completed, this connectivity will reach an unprecedented level. The central government has also announced works worth Rs 20 thousand crore to improve the road infrastructure in our state. Chhattisgarh is a surplus state in terms of power generation. All these things make the investment possibilities in Chhattisgarh very attractive. In such a better environment, if entrepreneurs willing to invest get many facilities including grants, then it will be an icing on the cake for them. Our new industrial policy has done just that. Necessary reforms have been made under Ease of Doing Business. The problem of NOC has been completely resolved with Single Window 2.0. Our focus is to provide employment to maximum number of local people. We are giving special grants to enterprises that provide employment to more than one thousand local people.
Target of investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in five years In the new industrial policy, we have taken full care to encourage such industries which have great possibilities to grow in accordance with the specialties of Chhattisgarh. To deal with the challenges of climate change, Modi ji has set a target of net zero carbon emission by the year 2070. This has created great possibilities for technology that reduces carbon emissions, i.e. green enterprises. In the new industrial policy, we have kept an investment incentive package for this. Entrepreneurs in Chhattisgarh are now focusing on green steel. The new industrial policy is creating a better environment for this. It is estimated that in the next five years, an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore will be made in the state and due to this five lakh new jobs will be created. We are preparing Atal Nagar, Nava Raipur as an IT hub and IT companies are rapidly coming forward to invest here. Here we are also building an AI data center on 14 acres, this will provide employment to a large number of people. To train the youth of the state for financial markets and to increase employment opportunities through this, the government has decided to enter into an MoU with the National Stock Exchange for student skilling program. This training will be conducted for high school, higher secondary and college students.
Tourism got a boost In the new industrial policy, we have also taken full care of the tourism possibilities of Chhattisgarh. We have the Chitrakote waterfall, which is called the Niagara of Asia. There are unique caves like Kotamsar in Kanger Valley. Here, Dhudmaras has been selected as the best tourism village by the United Nations Tourism Organization. There are the hills of Ramgarh in Surguja, where the great poet Kalidas got overwhelmed by the unique natural beauty and thought of writing his great epic Meghdut. Jashpur has the world’s largest natural Shivling Madheshwar Mahadev. Guru Ghasidas Tamorpingla Tiger Reserve has also come on the tourism map of the country. By creating the third largest tiger reserve in the country, our government has not only worked for the conservation of tigers but has also increased the possibilities of eco-tourism manifold.
Highest increase in forest and tree cover in the country We are not only preserving our natural wealth but are also continuously enhancing it. We have taken the initiative to link forest ecosystem service with green GDP. Recently, the Indian Forest Survey Report has come, in which it has been told that Chhattisgarh has seen an increase of 684 square kilometers of combined forest and tree cover, which is the highest in the country. Increase in air connectivity The Chief Minister said that the tribal culture of our state is also unique. To provide tourism infrastructure here, we have decided to give special grants to entrepreneurs providing home-stay facilities. A few months ago, Maa Mahamaya Airport was inaugurated in Ambikapur. Jagdalpur and Ambikapur airports have now come on the aviation map. With the availability of air connectivity, tourists will also be attracted here in large numbers. Local tourists are also getting a lot of convenience due to the start of Raipur-Bilaspur-Ambikapur flight service. The direct benefit of tourism infrastructure will be in the form of increased employment opportunities at the local level.
Youth’s trust returned to PSC He said that transparency in recruitment processes is one of the top priorities of our government. We have entrusted the task of investigating corruption in PSC examinations to the CBI and CBI is taking strong action in this matter. To bring transparency in the PSC examination, we have decided to conduct it on the lines of UPSC. The youth’s trust in PSC examination has returned due to the steps taken by the government. We have increased the number of seats in Tribal Youth Hostel in Delhi from 50 to 185 for the preparation of UPSC examinations. We are building similar libraries in 13 other urban bodies of the state on the lines of Nalanda campus in Raipur. Recruitment process is going on for more than 9 thousand posts of government service. Scope of Pradhan Mantri Awas increased The Chief Minister said that our government has completed one year. During this period, we have fulfilled most of our promises. In the very first cabinet meeting, we approved 18 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Work is being done on these at a fast pace. Own house is the biggest dream of life. The state has also received approval for three lakh additional PM Awas Yojana for the new financial year, for which a survey will be done by March. Now even those people who have two wheelers will be able to get PM Awas Yojana. Those who have irrigated land up to two and a half acres and non-irrigated land up to five acres will also be able to get a house. Those whose income is up to 15 thousand rupees per month will also be able to get a house. We have also approved the state share to benefit 1 lakh 32 thousand beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Urban Housing Scheme 2.0.
We are satisfied that we have been able to become the medium of home entry for lakhs of people. Our government has also decided to provide free ration to 68 lakh needy families for five years. We have increased the collection rate for tendu leaf collectors from Rs. 4 thousand to Rs. 5.5 thousand. Empowered women Empowered Chhattisgarh Our women power has played a big role in shaping Chhattisgarh Mahtari. They are laying the foundation of developed Chhattisgarh by working hard every day. It is our resolve to empower them economically. For this, we started the implementation of Mahtari Vandan Yojana within three months of the formation of the government. We have given eleven installments of this scheme to about 70 lakh mothers and sisters so far. On the first date of every month, we recharge happiness for mothers and sisters in the form of Mahtari Vandan Yojana. This amount helps in organizing their budget, in fulfilling their dreams. This is the women’s own fund, they are spending it as per their wish. Some sisters are investing it in the education of their children, some are investing it. Some mothers are fulfilling their dream of air travel. The mothers and sisters of village Dansara of Sarangarh were overwhelmed by the construction of Shri Ramlala temple in Ayodhya Dham. They wanted to build Shri Ram’s temple in their village. All the women united. They are building the temple of Lord Shri Ram by collecting the amount and donations received from Mahtari Vandan Yojana. We are entrusting the work of ready-to-eat food to women self-help groups. In the first phase, we will start this work from five districts.
New education system implemented in the state In ancient times, our country was the world leader. The reason for this was our Gurukul education system. This system used to teach students cultural values along with knowledge and science. When the British came to India, they realized that it is very important to fill the Indians with a feeling of inferiority to rule India. They abolished the ancient system and implemented the English education system brought by Macaulay. Due to this, the memory of the best texts written by our sages also started fading away in the minds of people. Modi ji has given us a new education system which includes our cultural achievements and glorious traditions along with modern knowledge and science. We have implemented it in Chhattisgarh. We are imparting education to children in 18 local languages. We have started 341 PM schools. We are also imparting education in AI and Robotics to children. We believe that the responsibility of giving a better direction to the education of children is as much of the parents as it is of the teachers. For this, we have also arranged the agenda of the parents-teacher meeting. We have started the tradition of celebrating our birthdays in the form of an invitation feast with the children in schools. The educational level of the children had fallen due to the end of the board examinations of classes 5th and 8th. To rectify this, we have decided to re-start the board examinations of classes 5th and 8th.
77 lakh 20 thousand families of the state got health security In our Indian tradition, while wishing for long life while giving blessings, it is said ‘Ayushmaan Bhavaah’. Longevity of people and concerns related to their good health are our top priority. Under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Ayushman Health Scheme, health security has been provided to 77 lakh 20 thousand families of the state. The society which respects its senior citizens, that society also flourishes. Modi ji has expanded the scope of Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana and included all senior citizens above 70 years of age in it. They are now getting the benefit of treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Chhattisgarh will become a hub of medical tourism Our aim is to make Chhattisgarh a medical hub, so that not only the citizens of Chhattisgarh can be treated in our super specialty hospitals, but Chhattisgarh also gets established as an important center of medical tourism. For this, we have earmarked 200 acres of land in Atal Nagar Nava Raipur. A state-of-the-art hospital with 5000 beds will be built here under the Medicity project. We are also setting up a pharmaceutical park on 141 acres of land in Atal Nagar Nava Raipur. This will make Atal Nagar Nava Raipur emerge as the pharmaceutical hub of Central India. The work of expansion of CIMS has been started in Bilaspur at a cost of Rs 200 crore. We have also issued a tender of Rs 231 crore for the expansion of 700 bed hospital in Ambedkar Hospital in the capital Raipur. With its completion, Ambedkar Hospital will have a facility of 2000 beds. To develop medical education in the state, a provision of Rs 1020 crore has been made for the buildings of four new medical colleges in Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, Manendragarh and Geedam.
Facility of studying MBBS through Hindi medium You will remember that earlier in PMT exams, one paper was in English. Many talented candidates from rural background and Hindi medium were often unable to clear PMT due to this reason. Later it was removed but the problem of English in medical studies persisted. We have provided medical students the facility to study MBBS through Hindi medium. With this, there is no obstacle left in the path of talented students from rural areas. Chhattisgarh celebrating Atal Nirman Varsh on Silver Jubilee Our state is celebrating the silver jubilee of its establishment this year. Incidentally, this year is also the birth centenary year of the creator of Chhattisgarh state, former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. We are celebrating this occasion as Atal Nirman Varsh. Following the basic mantra of good governance shown by revered Atal ji, we have created a transparent, vigilant and welfare oriented administrative system, on the basis of which we are working to build a developed Chhattisgarh. Use of IT for transparent administration Chhattisgarh has taken a unique initiative in the country to implement good governance in the form of Good Governance and Convergence Department. We are adopting e-office system to prevent red tape in Chhattisgarh. In this, the disposal of files will be done online. The officer will have to give his comments on the e-file within the stipulated time limit. Due to this system, files will be disposed of efficiently within the time limit without any fear of corruption.
This is the time of smart phones. We have started many apps related to citizen facilities in mobile phones to ease the delivery of government services. If you have to meet someone in the ministry, then click on Swagatham app and take time, if you have to register, then click on Sugam app and if you want to know the location of buses, then check Sangwari app. Availability of citizen services has become very easy due to digital governance. We have started Atal Monitoring Portal to monitor the implementation of government schemes. This not only provides ground information about the implementation of important schemes but also provides the necessary direction to improve it. Our government not only believes in zero tolerance towards corruption but also implements it. In minerals, we have abolished manual passes and started online transit passes. To stop corruption in government procurement, we have made the GeM portal mandatory. The Government of India gives incentives to states for better work. Due to the reforms we carried out in Chhattisgarh, the central government has given Rs 4400 crore to the state as incentive, which we will spend on infrastructure. 20 thousand devotees visited Ayodhya Dham. We have been able to do all these auspicious works with the blessings of our nephew Lord Shri Ram. So that the people of the maternal side always get the blessings of their nephew, so that the ideal life of Lord Shri Ram keeps sowing the seeds of good resolutions within them, we have started the Shri Ramlala Ayodhya Dham Darshan Yojana for the darshan of the holy Ayodhya Dham. So far, more than 20 thousand devotees have visited Shri Ramlala through this scheme.
Akhara construction in tribal villages is the cultural wealth of our state. We are giving Samman Nidhi of five thousand rupees every year to our Baiga, Gunia, Sirha who take care of tribal culture. We have started Akhara Nirman Vikas Yojana in tribal villages. It has been decided to install the statues of our tribal fighters and martyrs who took part in the freedom struggle in their villages. We have restarted the beautiful event of Rajim Kumbh. Sadhus and saints from all over the country are gathering at the Triveni Sangam of Rajim. There is a pleasant coincidence of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj after 144 years. We have prepared Chhattisgarh Pavilion in 4.5 acres to provide facilities to the devotees of Chhattisgarh in the program organized on this occasion. Here we have provided accommodation and food facilities to the devotees of the state. Roadmap ready for developed Chhattisgarh Gandhiji used to say that the future depends on what we do in the present. I am happy that this year, when we are celebrating the silver jubilee year of the establishment of Chhattisgarh, we have prepared a roadmap for the journey towards developed Chhattisgarh. In the year 2047, when 100 years of independence will be completed, then along with developed India, the grand form of developed Chhattisgarh will be in front of all of us. To achieve this objective, we have prepared a vision document.
Our government is such a government, which has presented its one year report card before the people of the state on completion of one year. We have good intentions. We have truthfulness. We have honesty and the power that has come from the tradition of our ancestors. We will move ahead with the support of all of you and will overcome every obstacle and will give a concrete shape to our dream of a bright, strong and developed Chhattisgarh. The mantra of Atharvaveda is Kritam me Dakshine Haste Jaiyo me Savya Aahitah. If you have good intentions for work in your mind, then you definitely get success.
