Surajpur, June 17: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday attended the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected chairperson and councillors of the newly constituted Shivanandanpur Nagar Panchayat here. Congratulating the new municipal head, Ritesh Jaiswal, and other public representatives, the Chief Minister urged them to serve the public with dedication and work systematically toward local urban development.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Sai announced the construction of a well-equipped Mangal Bhawan in Ward Number 6 of the Shivanandanpur Nagar Panchayat limits. He stated that granting municipal status to Shivanandanpur fulfills a long-standing aspiration of the area, paving the way for planned urban growth, robust drainage, stable electricity, clean drinking water, and streamlined sanitation networks.

Addressing the gathering, Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam said the formation of the Shivanandanpur Nagar Panchayat provides a progressive direction to regional infrastructure. Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade added that the transition to an urban local body will significantly accelerate welfare activities, thanking the Chief Minister for his visionary administrative push in the region.

Following the ceremony, Chief Minister Sai inspected institutional awareness stalls set up by various government departments. At the Social Welfare department pavilion, he distributed tricycles to two specially-abled individuals and handed over keys to newly constructed houses to three beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

At the Women and Child Development stall, the Chief Minister reviewed local child nutrition initiatives, oversaw the traditional godbharai (baby shower) ceremonies for three pregnant women, and participated in annaprashan (first rice-feeding) rituals for two infants. He also interacted with women beneficiaries to gather direct grassroots feedback on the implementation of the Mahtari Vandan Yojana.

The Chief Minister concluded his visit by distributing asset packages under state livelihood schemes. Under the fish-vending equipment distribution programme, he handed over insulated ice boxes alongside a financial assistance of ₹6,000 each to local beneficiaries, including Bharti Kevat and Tapeshwari Rajwade. Senior leaders, including Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Food Minister Dayal Das Baghel, and Surguja MP Chintamani Maharaj, were also present at the event.