Chhattisgarh government today decided to take panchayat representatives on study tours in the state over the next two years to make them aware of the "achievements" of the BJP government in the last one decade.
The study tours will initiate from July this year.
A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh today gave nod to 'Hamar Chhattisgarh' scheme under which panchayat representatives and nagar panchayat councillors will be taken on a tour of various places, particularly Raipur and Naya Raipur.
"As many as 1.71 lakh elected representatives of 10,971 gram panchayats and 1,986 councillors of 111 nagar panchayats will be updated on the achievements of last one decade of the state government under the scheme in next two years," the CM told reporters following the meeting.
The panchayat representatives will be taken on tour of Raipur and Naya Raipur in separate batches. They will also be shown Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) and other industrial projects, he added.
"They will be given first-hand knowledge of agriculture, industry and scientific developments. Each batch will have at least 500 representatives, whose boarding and lodging facilities will be borne by the state," Singh said.
Indira Gandhi Agriculture University, Naya Raipur Science center, Botanical Garden, Mantralaya, Vidhan Sabha, Purkhouti Muktangan, Energy Park and 5-D cinema hall will be among the places to be covered during the visit under the scheme to be started from July 1 onwards.
To make the scheme successful a committee has been constituted with Chief Secretary as its Chairperson, the chief minister added.
Several other crucial decisions including domestic LPG
connections to BPL families at the nominal rate and aid to restart closed industrial units, were taken in the meeting.
"25 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) families will be provided with LPG connections at a nominal rate of Rs 200 per family in the next two years under the 'Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojna," he said.
10 lakh gas connections will be provided in the current fiscal 2016-2017 and 15 lakh connections in the next fiscal, he added.
The cabinet also decided to implement ways and means to restart the closed industries to generate employment for youth and increase the revenue of the state, the CM said.
"There are 97 industries, which fall under the sick category and need an investment of Rs 1,070 crore. These industries can provide jobs to 9,000 youths," Singh said.
Moreover, the cabinet had decided that the state will purchase 19,500 metric tonnes sugar from the open market to be distributed under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to the ration card-holders till December 2016, he said.
The production of sugarcane had been hit due to drought in the entire state.
