The State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday endorsed the proposal to cover residents of 1080 villages under nine Modified Area Development Agency (MADA) areas incorporating Antyodaya and Priority ration card holders by giving them two kilograms of chickpeas at the rate of Rs five per kilogram.
The benefit is being extended under Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act 2012.
MADA areas are identified pockets of concentration of Scheduled Tribe (ST) population containing 50% or more ST population within a total population of minimum of 10,000. The decision will benefit 1,27,114 ration card holding families in these areas.
In Chhattisgarh, nine MADA exist in seven districts. As per details, Raigarh district has two MADA areas of Gopalpur and Sarangarh having 33 and 100 villages, Rajnandgaon district has Nachniya with 77 villages, Baloda Bazar has Baloda Bazar with 147 villages, Janjgir-Champa district has Rujga having 46 villages, Kabirdham district has Kawardha with 219 villages, Mahasamund has Mahasamund-1 with 200 villages and Mahasamund-2 has 215 villages and Dhamtari district has Gangrel MADA area have 43 villages. The decision would especially benefit ethnic primitive tribe mainly Baiga and Kamar tribes.
In another significant decision, Chhattisgarh Autonomous Medical College Education Model Service Rule 2018 would be enforced. Under the Rule, Executive Council of Autonomous Committee of Medical and Dental Colleges would hold the power to appoint regular teachers.
The salaries and benefits payment has to be done through the revenue generated by autonomous colleges. Provision has been made that selected teachers would be working in respective college of appointment and their services are not transferable.
Colleges under the rules are not allowed to fill administrative posts of Dean, Principal and Hospital Superintendent. The status quo will be maintained for services of already working faculty and those regular teachers selected through Chhattisgarh State Public Service Commission.
As per Cabinet decision, under Animal Husbandry Development Department, the registered ‘Gaushala’ will also be given solar pumps under ‘Saur Sujala Yojna’, to assist in providing drinking water to cattle and for fodder production. Presently under this scheme, farmers are being given solar pumps through subsidy. The target is to install 51,000 solar irrigation pumps which were later increased to 56,574 pumps by March 2019. In current fiscal year 2018-19 at a cost of Rs 490 crore around 19,494 solar irrigation pumps have been already installed. As per Cabinet decision, phase-wise solar pumps would be installed in ‘Gaushalas’.