Chhattisgarh to have a vision document by November: CM
The Chhattisgarh government is crafting a new vision document to chart the course for a “Viksit” (developed) Chhattisgarh by 2047, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Sunday, elaborating on a plan that takes cues from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) agenda.
The Chhattisgarh government is crafting a new vision document to chart the course for a “Viksit” (developed) Chhattisgarh by 2047, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Sunday, elaborating on a plan that takes cues from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) agenda.
The document, Sai said, will encompass sectors including infrastructure development, employment generation and industrial policy.
“We have begun meetings with stakeholders, we are talking to the youth, women, farmers, traders’ bodies, etc., to get their feedback,” Sai told HT.
The vision document, slated for unveiling on November 1— the state’s formation day — will address agricultural advancement, including efficient land use, intercropping potential, increasing farmers’ income, improving credit facilities and implementing precision farming techniques.
Sai said the state is drafting a new industrial policy and reviewing investment pledges made during the previous Congress government’s tenure. The BJP returned to power in Chhattisgarh in 2023.
“There were many MoUs signed during that (Congress) time, but a lot of projects did not take off because there was not enough support on the ground,” Sai said. “We will set up a single window system and have a new industrial policy in place.”
The state aims to scale up food processing and add value to forest produce, benefiting Scheduled Tribe communities dependent on forests for their livelihood. Sai highlighted increased remuneration for Tendu leaf collectors and diversification of Mahua use.
“Earlier Mahua was only sold, now it is being used for making food items such as sweetmeats and pickles and during the pandemic we even used it to make sanitisers,” he said.
The vision document will set short, medium and long-term goals to position Chhattisgarh as a leader in sustainability and regenerative development. Sai announced plans to double the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from its current ₹5.05 lakh crore to ₹10 lakh crore within five years.
To boost employment, the state will review recruitment across sectors. Sai cited mismanagement in education during the Congress administration, resulting in teacher shortages in many schools.
“In the education department we are planning to hire more teachers, although the student teacher ratio in the state is 21:1 which is better than the national average of 26:1,” he said.
The state is also intensifying efforts to counter insurgency through initiatives like the “Niyyad Nella Nar” (Your Good Village) scheme. The programme links Maoist-affected villages to welfare schemes and provides infrastructure development.
“Basic resources are being provided in these villages and construction of 27 roads of 98km and 2 bridges and 103 culverts has been completed in the last six and a half months,” Sai said.
An additional ₹20 crore has been allocated for the scheme, which aims to provide housing, food rations, gas cylinders and irrigation facilities to families in affected areas.
Under the scheme, all families in these villages will receive facilities such as houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, ration cards, free rice, gram, salt, jaggery, and sugar, four free gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Yojana, irrigation pumps including borewells for farmers, and other services.
The Chief Minister, who was in the Capital to attend the two-day CM’s conclave chaired by PM Modi that concluded on Sunday, emphasised the state’s commitment to achieving these development goals.
“At present, the state’s GSDP is ₹5.05 lakh crore, we have set a target of increasing it to ₹10 lakh crore in the next five years. The state has started work on possibilities of improvements and achieving goals in various fields. The (vision) document will be aimed at establishing Chhattisgarh as a leader in sustainability and regenerative development with specific short, medium and long-term goals,” he said.