Raipur, June 23:The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Tuesday cleared a series of key proposals aimed at expanding rural employment, creating local business hubs, and driving green energy initiatives across the state.

The decisions were taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai at the Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan here.

In a major push for rural livelihood, the cabinet approved the ‘Viksit Bharat – Mission for Employment and Democracy (Rural): VB-G Ram Ji Yojana Chhattisgarh’. Aligned with the central legislation of 2025, the scheme guarantees 125 days of unskilled manual labour per financial year to adults in eligible rural households.

The scheme focuses on water conservation, natural resource management, and rural infrastructure development mapped through the Gati Shakti initiative. Financed on a 60:40 expenditure-sharing basis between the Centre and the state, the government has proposed an estimated allocation of ₹4,000 crore in the state budget for the 2026-27 financial year.

The council of ministers also greenlit the ‘Atal Audyogik Samriddhi Haat’ scheme to set up rural processing units for pulses, oilseeds, and rice milling alongside handloom and handicraft centres. These hubs will feature cold storage facilities, agricultural equipment banks, and ‘Atal Digital Centres’ to upgrade local supply chains. The Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission will execute the project under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

Additionally, the cabinet approved the draft ‘Chhattisgarh Compressed Biogas Policy 2026’ to process agricultural residue, organic waste, and livestock waste into clean fuel. Targeted under the Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision 2047, the policy aims to tap into a potential production of nearly 5 lakh tonnes of compressed biogas (CBG). The Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority has been named the nodal agency under the state energy department.