Kumar Bahukhandi
Raipur: In a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday February 4, 2026 , the Chhattisgarh government approved the creation of 44 new posts for the Special Operations Group (SOG) under the Special Branch of the Police Headquarters in the main budget for the financial year 2025-26.
The SOG’s function is to reach the scene of any major or sudden incident immediately, control the situation, and quickly neutralise terrorist attacks or serious threats.
The SOG is a specially trained team prepared for such dangerous tasks. The meeting also decided to transfer completed projects built by the Chhattisgarh Housing Board and the Raipur Development Authority (RDA) to the respective municipal corporations and municipalities.
In the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Mahanadi Bhavan Secretariat, it was decided to transfer 35 completed residential colonies built by the Chhattisgarh Housing Board and the Raipur Development Authority to the municipal corporations and municipalities.
These colonies will include open plots, parks, and other public amenities. However, residential, commercial, and semi-public saleable properties will not be included in this transfer.
Due to the delay in the transfer of these colonies, residents are currently deprived of several basic amenities.
Residents are also facing double expenses for the maintenance of these colonies. On one hand, they are paying property tax to the municipal corporation, and on the other hand, they are also paying maintenance charges to the Housing Board.
The transfer of these colonies will enable urban local bodies to provide facilities such as water, electricity, roads, and sanitation, and residents will be relieved of the additional maintenance charges.
It was also decided that the Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority will construct a large multi-story building in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar for the offices of government departments and corporations, where space will be allocated to the departments to ensure optimal land utilisation. Other Important Decisions
* Taking a major decision towards preventing drug abuse, the Council of Ministers approved the creation of 100 new posts in the main budget for the financial year 2025-26 for the formation of District-Level Anti-Narcotics Task Forces in 10 districts of the state. These districts include Raipur, Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Durg, Bastar, Surguja, Kabirdham, Jashpur, Rajnandgaon, and Korba.
* The Council of Ministers took the important decision to establish Flight Training Organisations (FTOs) at various airports and airstrips in the state and approved the guidelines for their operation. Under this, a Flight Training Organization will be established in Chhattisgarh to provide pilot training facilities in the state. This institution will be beneficial given the increasing demand in the aviation sector and will provide employment opportunities for the youth. This will also facilitate the development of facilities such as aircraft recycling, helicopter bunking, and aero sports. The Flight Training Organisation will be established through private participation.
* The Council of Ministers approved the Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy 2025-26. This policy will foster the development of the startup ecosystem, along with incubators and other stakeholders. Chhattisgarh will be developed as a leading innovation hub in the country. Improvement in the State Startup Ranking issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, will increase investment attractiveness in the state.
* The Council of Ministers granted the authority to allocate government land in the Sirpur and Arpa regions to the respective District Collectors to ensure planned development and accelerate development works in these areas.
It is noteworthy that the objective of the Sirpur Special Area Development Authority and the Arpa Special Area Development Authority is the planned and comprehensive development of the respective riverine areas. For this, the effective implementation of the master plan, land use planning, and urban development schemes is necessary.
The allocation of government land was essential to accelerate development works. Considering the current financial situation of both authorities, the allocation of government land was necessary.
- It has been decided that the transactions will be conducted on a premium and ground rent basis. Additionally, the authority for land allocation has been given to the respective District Collectors.
*The Council of Ministers has approved the implementation of the “Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy” in the state. The proposal for the Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy was submitted by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh.
According to the Chhattisgarh Cloud First Policy, all departments, undertakings, and autonomous institutions of the state government will obtain cloud services only from cloud service providers approved by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, or from secure data centers and disaster recovery centers located in India. For any special or exceptional requirements, it will be mandatory to obtain permission from the State Cloud Council.
Under the policy, the cloud migration of low-priority applications and archived data will be completed by 2027-28, and the migration of high-priority services by 2029-30. All new applications will be developed using cloud-native technology.
The Cabinet has authorised the Department of Electronics and Information Technology to make necessary amendments to this policy in the future. This policy will ensure cost reduction in IT infrastructure, operational efficiency, improved cybersecurity, continuity of services during disasters, and 24×7 availability of citizen services. It will also strengthen the security, transparency, and tracking mechanisms for citizens’ data.
The Council of Ministers has approved a mobile tower scheme to expand digital infrastructure in Chhattisgarh state. Limited mobile connectivity in geographically challenging and Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas is hindering the effective implementation of government schemes. This scheme will simplify and expedite the process of obtaining permissions and administrative approvals for selected service providers for mobile tower installation.
Under the mobile tower scheme, towers will be installed in selected settlements lacking mobile network coverage. Digital connectivity will boost the rural economy, expand e-governance services, and promote socio-economic development.
The scheme will also improve security, especially in Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas, by providing communication facilities, leading to greater transparency and efficiency in administrative work.
The implementation of the mobile tower scheme will ensure easier access to schemes such as the Public Distribution System, Direct Benefit Transfer, health services, education, and emergency services like Dial 112 for citizens in remote areas.
