In a bid to leave no stone unturned for ensuring a hat-trick in the November-December Assembly polls, the BJP Government’s Cabinet meet here on Thursday late evening announced a series of sops for the OBC community which make up roughly 50 percent of the State’s 2.55 crore population.
The Cabinet meet which was chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh decided to provide hostel and coaching facilities to OBC community at district level. The government has also announced to fill up backlog OBC posts. The Cabinet also approved several sops to BPl family students of general category such as pre-exam coaching, hostels facility and exam fees arrangements.
In an effort to appease massive tribal people, the Cabinet decided to hire a private agency to boost qualitative science education in backward tribal hinterland of Bastar and Surguja regions.
The Bastar region which is located in southern tip of the state and Surguja in northern belt, are facing an acute shortage of science teachers for years. The meet which is said to be probably the last Cabinet Meet for the assembly poll-bound mineral rich state, announced to begin ‘paddy procurement drive’ from farmers from October 21.
The farmers’ community had a lot to cheer from the Cabinet decisions as the Government decided to waive power tariff up to 6,000 units electricity on 3 horse power irrigation pumps and up to 7500 units electricity on 3-5 horse power irrigation pumps under Krishak Jivan Jyoti Yojana. The government has also offered Rs 100 per month flat rate option on power tariff for those farmers using irrigation pumps of up to five horse powers. The Cabinet also approved ‘divisional commissioner’ post for a sprawling Durg division which was created recently.