The approval of the excise policy emerged as the most significant outcome of the meeting, which was closely watched amid speculation that the Cabinet might also clear the long-pending proposal to introduce a police commissionerate system in the state. However, officials confirmed that the issue did not come up for discussion during the meeting.
According to government sources, the Cabinet accorded approval to the proposal outlining the framework of the excise policy and empowered the department to proceed with administrative and operational steps required for its rollout in the next financial year. Details of the policy are expected to be made public after formal notification.
Beyond excise reforms, the Cabinet took a series of decisions aimed at strengthening education, technology-driven entrepreneurship and public healthcare infrastructure in the state.
One of the key decisions was to allot 40 acres of land in Nava Raipur to SVKM, a reputed educational trust, on a 90-year lease for the establishment of a high-quality educational institution. SVKM, which has been active in the education sector since 1934 and operates over 30 institutions across India, is expected to bring advanced academic programmes and modern educational infrastructure to the state.
In a move to boost the IT and startup ecosystem, the Cabinet also approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) for setting up four new entrepreneurship centres in Nava Raipur. These centres are expected to support around 133 startups over the next three to five years. The initiative will also include the establishment of an Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) centre, aimed at assisting 30 to 40 hardware startups and MSMEs annually.
The Cabinet further cleared proposals to enhance diagnostic and laboratory facilities in government health institutions. The decisions are intended to improve the functioning of laboratories at district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres, ensuring better access to quality diagnostic services and increasing the number of tests conducted within the public healthcare system.
Officials noted that the Cabinet meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s residence instead of the state secretariat in Nava Raipur, marking a change in both venue and schedule. All Cabinet ministers, senior officials and department heads were present during the deliberations.
The decisions taken are expected to have long-term implications for revenue administration, education standards, startup growth and healthcare delivery in Chhattisgarh, with further implementation details likely to be announced in the coming weeks.
