Chhattisgarh

• 19 Oct 2021

IANS-C Voter Governance Index

Why in News

• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is the best performing Chief Minister in the country according to the IANS-C Voter Governance Index released on October 18, 2021. Baghel has got the highest popularity rating among all the Chief Ministers.

Key Points

• Releasing its survey report, IANS has said that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has got this popularity due to the welfare schemes being run in the state.
• According to IANS, Bhupesh Baghel has started several welfare schemes in Chhattisgarh, including providing free education to children studying in private schools who have lost parents/guardians to COVID-19. The Chhattisgarh government is bearing the cost of education of such children under the 'Mahatari Dular Yojna'.
• According to NITI Aayog's SDG India Index Report-2020-21, Chhattisgarh is the top performing state in India on the gender equality parameter of the Sustainable Development Goals. NITI Aayog tracks the progress of all states and union territories on 115 indicators.
• Last year, Chhattisgarh scored 43 on the gender equality parameter and was ranked seventh in India. This year, Chhattisgarh scored 61 and topped the charts.
• Yashwant Deshmukh, Founder, C Voter said, “People have liked Chief Ministers who have decision-making abilities and have CEO-like style of work.”

Task Force on Participatory Democracy and Decentralized Planning

Why in News

• Recently, as per the intention of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Chairman, State Planning Commission, a task force has been constituted by the State Planning Commission to give suggestions to the State Government regarding participatory democracy and decentralized planning.

Key Points

• Amarjit Bhagat will be the chairman of this task force, Minister Khad Yojana will be economic and statistics.
• The members of the task force include five honorable MPs, five MLAs, presidents of five district panchayats and presidents of two municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats and state presidents of recognized parties in the state. Apart from this, subject matter experts related to the field have also been included in the task force.
• The task force will be coordinated by the Secretary, Head of Department, Panchayat and Rural Development Department and Secretary, Urban Administration and Development Department.
• This task force will give suggestions on ensuring participation of citizens in planning. Apart from this, the empowerment of citizens for social audit, will suggest ways to train citizens for financial management and monitoring.
• Expert Task Forces are constituted from time to time by the State Planning Commission to give suggestions to the State Government, in which the eminent subject experts and grassroot workers of the country and local are included.
• After deliberation by the task force, appropriate policies are suggested to the state government.
• After the approval of the Chief Minister, various Task Forces have been constituted by the Planning Commission to give suggestions on relevant topics of development of the State.
• The subjects of the task force include school education, higher education, agriculture, water promotion, food processing and allied sectors, tribal development, forest and wildlife management, minor forest produce management, health, nutrition and food security, industry, village industries, skill development, high and technical Important topics like education and employment, social security, women empowerment, labor welfare, art, tourism, archeology and culture promotion are included.
• These task forces will suggest ways to solve the existing problems in the state. Ideas and suggestions are kept on the feasibility of implementing the policies, programs and best efforts found successful at the national and international level in the state and the schemes and programs run by the departments.