Chhattisgarh government to provide houses to families identified as homeless under Congress rule

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh BJP government has decided to sanction houses to more than 47,000 families that were identified as homeless in a survey conducted last year during the previous Congress regime, officials said.

The decision was taken on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Mantralaya in Nava Raipur, Deputy CM Arun Sao told reporters.

The socio-economic survey conducted by the state government from April 1 to April 30 last year covering 59.79 lakh families identified 47,090 families as homeless.

These homeless families did not feature in the permanent wait list (PWL) of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census -2011 (SECC-2011) (required for being eligible as beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural), Sao said.

These families will be provided housing under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Rural), he added.

Under the scheme, affordable housing facilities are being developed in Naya Raipur, and the registration date to avail this scheme has been extended from March 31, 2024, to March 31, 2027, he said.

In another significant decision, the cabinet gave its nod to an amendment of the Chhattisgarh Government Store Purchase Rules, 2002 (as revised in 2022), the deputy CM said.

With this move, all state government departments will procure materials, goods, and services available through the Centre's Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal instead of Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC), he said.

The existing rate contracts of the CSIDC will be cancelled at the end of this month, Sao said.

The decision was taken to tackle corruption in government procurement following numerous complaints of irregularities in purchases through the CSIDC, he said.

The previous (Congress) government prohibited purchases from the GeM portal, resulting in increased procurement challenges, compromised quality, and a rise in corruption allegations, Sao said.

The Sai government has addressed this issue with urgency, aiming not only to curb corruption but also to restore transparency in government procurement by reinstating the GeM portal system, he said.

The cabinet also decided to establish a separate 'Good Governance and Convergence' department for the effective implementation of state's welfare policies and good governance initiatives and at the same time addressing public issues, Sao added.