Raipur. Many important decisions have been taken in the Chhattisgarh Cabinet meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai. Deputy Chief Minister Arun Saw has informed the journalists about the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting. Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration Minister Arun Saw said that in the cabinet meeting, the Sai government has taken another big decision in the interest of farmers. Now it has been decided to amend the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Produce Market Act so that farmers get the maximum price for their produce.

The draft of Chhattisgarh Agricultural Produce Market (Amendment) Bill-2024 was approved in the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Mowa Chowk will now be named after martyr Bharat Lal Sahu. Sai government (CM Vishnudev Sai) has taken this decision in the cabinet meeting. With the amendment in the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Produce Market Act, single registration or licensee of Mandi Board or Committee of other state, traders and processors will be able to buy and sell notified agricultural produce through e-NAM portal (National Agricultural Market) operated by the Government of India without registration. This will enable the farmers and sellers of Chhattisgarh state to get maximum price. According to the amendment proposal, it is now proposed to add the words “Mandi Fee and Farmer Welfare Fee” in place of Mandi Fee. According to the amendment proposal, the Mandi Board will deposit 10 percent of its gross annual income in the Chhattisgarh State Farmers Welfare Fund for farmer welfare activities. This fund can be used for the purposes included in the rules. Along with this, it has been decided in the cabinet meeting that the farmer will get the maximum price of the crop. Traders of Mandi Board of other state will be able to buy through e-NAM. Registration is not required for them here.

Taking an important decision regarding the allotment of government land in urban areas of Chhattisgarh state, management of encroached land and granting rights to the land owner, the Council of Ministers has cancelled the instructions and circulars issued earlier in this regard. These include the circular issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department on 11 September 2019 regarding the management of encroached land in urban areas, allotment of government land and determination and recovery process of annual land rent, the circular issued on 26 October 2019 regarding granting landowner rights for permanent leases granted in urban areas, the circular issued on 20 May 2020 for converting the land of permanent leases of Nazul into landowner rights and the circular issued on 24 February 2024 regarding allotment of government land in urban areas, management of encroached land and granting landowner rights.

It was also decided in the cabinet meeting that information regarding land allotted under the orders issued under these forms will be displayed on the website of the Revenue Department and if any objection or complaint is received in this regard, it will be heard by the Divisional Commissioner.

The draft of Chhattisgarh Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill-2024 was approved in the meeting of the Council of Ministers. The GST Council had decided to make some amendments in the Act to rationalize the provision of input tax credit in respect of input service distributors and for registration of machines used in the manufacture of pan masala, gutkha etc. In the context of this decision, the Central Goods and Services Tax Amendment Act 2024 has been notified on 15 February 2024. In this regard, it has also been proposed to amend the Chhattisgarh Goods and Services Tax Act 2017 accordingly.

The General Administration Department was authorized to take further necessary action for placing the 22nd Annual Report of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (for the period from 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) on the table of the Legislative Assembly.