Chhattisgarh

• 20 Sep 2021

Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club Scheme

Why in News

• On September 18, 2021, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched 'Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club Yojna' in the state during a function organized at his residence office and also released an amount of Rs 19.43 crore to the districts for the formation and operation of the club.

Key Points

• Under this scheme, a total of 13,269 Rajiv Yuva Mitan Clubs will be formed in all the gram panchayats and urban bodies of the state in a phased manner. A grant amounting to Rs 132. 69 crore will be given to the clubs during the year.
• For Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club, Chhattisgarh government has made a provision of Rs 50 crore in the budget. Each club will be given one lakh rupees for conducting creative activities in a year at the rate of 25 thousand rupees every three months.
• The Chief Minister said that the Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club scheme was started to the former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna in the state of Chhattisgarh to realize the dream of late Shri Rajiv Gandhi’s youth India.
• Its objective is to carve out the young talents of the state, organize them and provide them with a suitable platform and use their energy in building a new Chhattisgarh.
• The Chief Minister said that youth power is an important capital for the development of the state. This is a revolutionary program to organize the youth power of the state and connect them with creative work. Through youth, it will help to advance the culture, environment, sports of Chhattisgarh and to reach the welfare schemes to the people and people will get its benefits.
• Sports and Youth Welfare Department Secretary N.N. Ekka said that Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club would be formed at ward level in Gram Panchayat and urban bodies. The club will be registered under the Firms and Societies Act. Each club will have 20 to 40 youth, aged between 15 and 40.
• A ministerial committee will be formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister for the implementation, supervision and guidance of the scheme. The chief secretary will be the chairman of the state level executive committee. Committees will also be constituted at the district and sub-division level. The ministers in charge of the districts will be the custodians of the district level committee.
• It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced the formation of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club at the closing ceremony of Chhattisgarh Youth Festival on January 14, 2020.

Policy for the Third Gender Community

Why in News

• On September 18, 2021, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel honored 13 newly-appointed police constables of the third gender community in a program organized at his residence office and congratulated them.

Key Points

• On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Government of Chhattisgarh is working for the protection of the interests and constitutional rights of the people of all caste, class, community and gender in the state. It is the policy of the state government to promote social amiability and harmony.
• He said that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country, which has made a policy for the welfare of the third gender community of the state and to bring them into the mainstream.
• The state of Chhattisgarh has also constituted a welfare board for the rehabilitation and protection of rights of third gender persons.
• The Chief Minister said that the government has made a provision of Rs 76 lakh in this year's budget for setting up ashram-cum-rehabilitation centers for the rehabilitation of third gender persons. This will be the first center of its kind in the country.
• The state government has prepared online software for data storage of third gender communities. 2919 third gender persons have been identified in the survey, out of which 1,025 persons have been issued identity cards, which are valid for ration cards, passports, Aadhar cards, etc.

Religious City Ratanpur will be Developed as a Tourist Site

Why in News

• Recently, the Union Ministry of Tourism has directed to prepare a state government action plan to bring Ratanpur, the religious and mythological city of Chhattisgarh in front of the tourists of the country and the world, and to develop it as a tourist destination/site.

Key Points

• On the instructions of the Union Ministry of Tourism, the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and the State Government took stock of Ratanpur and its surrounding tourist places in the past.
• After developing as a tourist destination, tourists from all over the world will now be able to see this city of King Mordhwaj and Ratnadev.
• From the point of view of tourists, the specialty and art will be raised here, palaces and forts of historical and archaeological importance will be decorated.
• The biggest feature of Ratanpur, popularly known as the city of ponds, is that there is such a series of 200 ponds that are several hundred years old, due to which there has not been a famine here. The ponds have been constructed in such a way that during the rainy season, when one pond is full, the water reaches the other.
• It is noteworthy that this city located in Bilaspur district is famous for the temple of Adishakti Maa Mahamaya Devi. This holy mythological city has an ancient and glorious history. It is also called 'Chaturyuga city', which means that its existence has been present in all the four ages.
• The Kalchuri king Ratnadev I of Tripuri first made Ratanpur his capital and later Kalchuri kings ruled Chhattisgarh for a long period from this capital.
• The Mahamaya Temple was built by King Ratnadev I in the 11^th century. The idols of goddesses Mahakali, Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi are seated inside the temple.
• It is believed that the right skanda of Goddess Sati had fallen in Ratanpur. Lord Shiva himself appeared and gave it the name of Kaumari Shakti Peeth, due to which unmarried girls get good fortune from the sight of the mother. Thousands of wishing Jyoti Kalash are lit here by the devotees during Navratri.