A meeting of the Council of Ministers was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Samatva Bhawan. The Cabinet approved the construction of 33 well-equipped schools at an estimated cost of Rs 1,335.20 crore in the State. As many as 275 schools are being developed by the School Education Department in the first phase under the CM Rise Scheme. Out of these, DPRs were prepared for the construction of 33 schools and presented before the Project Testing Committee on March 20, 2023. Subsidy of over Rs 24,000 crore for power distribution companies approved: Approval was given by the Council of Ministers to give subsidy to the power distribution companies in lieu of the approved subsidy under the Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana for domestic consumers of the state and subsidy to various consumer categories in the rates fixed for the financial year 2023-24. Subsidy of over Rs 24 crore was approved in various categories to the power distribution companies.

 

Approval of Rs 1,700 crore for the CM’s Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme: The Cabinet approved Rs 1700 crore for the fourth phase of ‘Chief Minister Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme’ for two years (financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25) for infrastructure development in all urban bodies of the state. In this scheme, along with works related to road construction and ancillary works, urban traffic improvement, urban beautification, social and sports infrastructure, garden development, construction/upgradation of office buildings of the body can be done. The scheme will be implemented by the urban bodies under departmental guidance. With the implementation of this scheme, necessary infrastructure will be available in various cities. In-principle approval for setting up new medical colleges in the districts: The Cabinet has given in-principle consent for setting up new medical colleges with admission capacity of 100 MBBS seats in Khargone, Dhar, Bhind, Balaghat, Tikamgarh and Sidhi districts. With the establishment of the medical college, not only will tertiary level medical facilities be made available to the people of the region, as well as 600 MBBS seats will be increased for the students of the state There will be an increase in seats. Approval to transfer 1097.11 hectare land of Bhoj Wetland to Environment Forestry Forest Division Bhopal: The Cabinet decided to transfer the 1097.11 hectare land of Bhoj Wetland Bhopal, which is presently under the possession of Bhoj Wetland, Administrator Capital Project Administration, Urban Development and Housing Department, except Upper Lake and its waterlogged area and the land falling under the new alignment for developing the VIP road into an eight-lane after joined demarcation to the to Environment Forestry Forest Division, Bhopal.

 

It has also been decided that as per provision in Section 4 of the Madhya Pradesh Vrikshon ka Parirakshan (Nagariya Kshetra) Adhiniyam, 2001, the forest ranger in charge of the said land should be appointed Vriksh Adhikari. In future, if the situation arises to transfer other plantation areas, the Chief Secretary will take a decision regarding the transfer of the area with the mutual consent of the concerned departments. Now food will be available in Deendayal Rasoi Yojana at Rs 5 per plate: Needy persons and families from rural areas come for business and labour work in the urban areas of the state. The government arranged for temporary shelters for them in 119 rain baseras/night shelters of 55 urban bodies of the state and nutritious food at affordable rates in 56 kitchen centres of 51 urban bodies of the state from April 07, 2017, in the first phase of Deendayal Rasoi Yojana. The importance of kitchen centres was also displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, on February 26, 2021, in the second phase of the kitchen scheme, a total of 100 kitchen centres started in 52 district headquarters and 6 cities of religious significance including Maihar, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Amarkantak, Orchha and Chitrakoot. Under the scheme, food is provided to each needy at the rate of Rs 10/- per person. So far 1.62 crore thalis have been distributed. Under the scheme, in addition to the 100 kitchen centres established earlier, 20 new permanent kitchen centres and 25 new mobile kitchen centres in 16 municipal corporations and Pithampur and Mandideep to help such people who are unable to reach the permanent kitchen centres. Thus, the decision has been taken by the Council of Ministers to open a total of 45 new kitchen centres and provide food in the kitchen at the rate of only Rs 5 per person.