Khattar urges Chhattisgarh to make full use of central funds to accelerate state’s development | India News – Times of India

RAILING: Union Minister of Energy Manohar Lal Khattar The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday advised to make full and timely use of the funds provided by the Centre to speed up the pace of development in the state. Officials said Khattar, the former chief minister of Haryana, was overseeing the work in Chhattisgarh’s power and urban Development sectors.
At the meeting at Mantralaya in Nava Raipur, he advocated better coordination between the Centre and Chhattisgarh, stressing that this would speed up development work in the state.
The Centre will provide full support in electricity and housing in Chhattisgarh, he said. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, various reforms and works are being carried out in the country in line with the aspirations of the people, Khattar was quoted as saying in a press release during the meeting.
According to the statement issued by the state Public Relations Department, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao and Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain were present at the meeting.
Khattar, who is also in-charge of the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, said the Centre is implementing several projects to provide people with cheap and sufficient electricity and promote solar energy.
“The Union Minister told the state government to make full use of the funds and subsidies provided by the Centre. He assured that there will be no difficulty from the Centre’s side with regard to development plans in the state and both the Centre and the state government will work together better,” the report said.
He also suggested that the 100 buses donated to Raipur under the ‘Clean City’ programme can also be used for public transport between Nava Raipur and Raipur.
Khattar reviewed the work being carried out to reduce power line losses, installation of smart meters, electrification in special backward tribal areas and availability of coal for power generation.
“He also took stock of the activities under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Amrit Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM e-Bus Service, Smart City Mission and other programmes,” it added.
During the meeting, CM Sai said that efforts were being made at a rapid pace to improve power generation in Chhattisgarh and the state would soon regain the status of ‘Power Surplus State’.
Sai told Khattar that electricity availability for farmers and small labourers in the state has improved in the last six months.
Farmers will get a subsidy of 6,000 units annually for using irrigation pumps of up to 3 hp capacity and a subsidy of 7,500 units annually for irrigation pumps of between 3 hp and 5 hp capacity, Sai said.
The CM asked Khattar to prioritise 19,906 houses awaiting approval under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban) and around 50,000 houses with revised central share to the state, in line with the applications collected during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the release said.