Chhattisgarh cabinet clears 18 lakh rural homes in first meeting

The promise of constructing these houses was one of the key pre-election promises made by the BJP

In its first Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, the newly sworn-in Bharatiya Janata Party government of Chhattisgarh cleared the proposal of implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna for over 18 lakh poor families in rural areas. 

The promise of constructing these houses was one of the key pre-election promises made by the BJP. Announcing the decision at a press conference held in Nava Raipur, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said earlier the poor did not get the benefit of the Central scheme. He was joined by the deputy CM duo of Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma.

“In our first cabinet meeting, the only decision taken was providing 18 lakh poor people [homes under] the PM Awas Yojna. A decision has been taken, and in the near future, this will be implemented. We are doing the needful,” Mr. Sai said.  Later, a government media statement pegged the number of sanctioned houses at 18, 12, 743. 

On another pre-election promise of paying outstanding bonus to paddy farmers for two pending during the previous BJP government, the CM reiterated his earlier announcement that the said bonus will be given on December 25, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

Mr. Sai accused the previous Congress government of leaving the State in financial crunch. Later, answering a query on the availability of funds to fulfil BJP’s pre-poll promises in the State, he added that the State had a a double engine government [implying BJP governments in Chhattisgarh and at the Centre] and that it would “move fast”. 

Answering a question on his government’s stance on religious conversions, Mr. Sai accused the previous regime of encouraging the conversion to seek votes and said his government would explore ways to keep a check on conversions.

On his strategy to deal with Maoists who have a hold in the Southern tribal region of Bastar, Mr. Sai referred to the inroads made by the previous BJP governments and added that in “the future, too, we will continue to fight against the menace strongly”.