Important decisions taken in meeting of Sai Cabinet
Raipur, 09 September
At the cabinet meeting held today at Mantralaya (Mahanadi Bhawan) under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, several important decisions were taken:
*1. Compassionate Appointment for Martyr’s Family*
The Cabinet honoured the supreme sacrifice and indomitable courage of Additional Superintendent of Police Shri Akash Rao Girepunje, who was martyred in a bomb blast during an anti-Naxal operation in Sukma district on 09 June 2025. As a special case, the Cabinet approved a compassionate appointment for his wife, Smt. Sneha Girepunje, to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) in the State Police Service.
*2. Amendments to State Solar Energy Policy*
To reduce dependence on conventional energy sources and promote renewable energy production, the Cabinet approved necessary amendments to the State’s Solar Energy Policy.
* Policy Duration: The revised policy will remain in force until 2030, or until a new solar policy is issued by the state government.
* Priority Industry Status: Solar energy projects will now receive priority industry status under the state’s industrial policy.
* Investor Benefits: A wide range of incentives and concessions will be extended, including interest subsidies, capital cost subsidy for micro-industries, GST reimbursement for small, medium, and large industries, concessions in electricity duty and stamp duty, subsidy for preparation of project reports, relaxation in land use conversion fees, and land acquisition concessions from the state’s land bank, along with premium exemptions on land for entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and members of the third gender community. Benefits such as employment-linked subsidies for employing persons with disabilities, and special packages for mega and ultra-mega projects will also be provided.
*3. Appointment of New PSC Chairperson*
The Cabinet has approved the proposal to appoint Ms. Rita Shandilya, currently serving as a Member and Acting Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, as the new Chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission.
*4. Increase in Pension for Retired Senior Journalists*
In a significant decision, the Cabinet has doubled the monthly honorarium under the Chhattisgarh Senior Media Personnel Samman Nidhi for retired journalists—from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per month. This increase was earlier announced in the State Budget for the year 2025–26.
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