Important Decisions Taken in the Meeting of the Council of Ministers | 31 Dec 2022

Why in News?

• In a meeting of the state council of ministers chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the decision to give the benefit of the old pension scheme was taken despite the central government's ban on the return of NPS amount to the officers and employees of the state.

Key Points

• In the cabinet meeting, it was decided to give the benefit of the old pension scheme even after the central government's ban on the return of NPS amount to state officers and employees.
  • Under this, government servants will be considered as members of Chhattisgarh General Provident Fund from April 1, 2022 and the employee contribution deposited in the NPS account from the date appointed on or after November 1, 2004, to March 31, 2022, and the dividend earned on it will be payable to the government employee under the NPS rules.
  • Employees will be eligible for the old pension only after depositing the contribution of the state government and the dividend earned on it. For this, government servants will have to give the option of remaining undone under NPS or getting the benefit of the old pension scheme in the notarized affidavit. This choice will be final and irreversible.
  • If a government servant takes the option of the old pension scheme, then the contribution deposited by the government in the NPS account from November 1, 2004 to March 31, 2022 and the dividend received on it will have to be deposited in the government account.
  • Government servants of the state appointed on and after April 1, 2022 will compulsorily be members of the old pension scheme.
• In the cabinet meeting, it was decided to start a special scheme for the repair of school buildings. A total of Rs 780 crore will be spent on the repair of schools under this scheme.
• Taking an important decision to improve the environment and increase the income of farmers through commercial plantation, it was decided to start Mukhyamantri Vriksha Sampada Yojana in the state.
• Discussions were held regarding the implementation of the Millets Mission program in the state and initiatives will be taken jointly by agriculture, forest, cooperative, panchayat and rural development, school education, Scheduled Caste and Tribe development, food, women and child development, village industries, culture, commerce and industry, tourism, public relations, home and prisons, commercial taxes and health and family welfare departments to promote millet production and its use in the state.
• The draft Chhattisgarh Regularisation of Unauthorised Development (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was approved.
• The draft Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Bill, 2022 was approved.
• It was decided to constitute District Level Agglomeration and District Level Committees in 5 new districts to monitor the implementation of Central State Sponsored Schemes related to inter-departmental and inter-state schemes at cluster level.
• Amendment draft in Chhattisgarh Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1991 was approved for collection of lifetime tax from ambulance category vehicles.
• In order to increase the temporary registration tax on vehicles, the draft amendment to the Chhattisgarh Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1991 and Rules 1991 was approved.
• It was decided to distribute fortified rice to state scheme ration card holders (except APL) in all districts of the state. An amount of Rs 26.42 crore will be spent on this.
• It was decided to distribute free food grains in antyodaya and priority ration cards issued under the Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act, 2012, similar to the distribution of free food grains in ration cards issued under the National Food Security Act, 2013 from January 2023 to December 2023.
• The draft amendment to the Chhattisgarh Industrial Land and Management Rules 2015 was approved.
• A report of the judicial inquiry into the incident of the death of Hon'ble MLA Bhima Mandavi of Dantewada constituency no. 88 was presented.