Raipur, Chhattisgarh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, has announced a major relief package for domestic electricity consumers and approved key legislative amendments aimed at boosting industrial and employment reforms. The state government launched the Mukhyamantri Urja Rahat Jan Abhiyan (M-URJA), effective from December 1, 2025, significantly expanding the state’s electricity subsidy.

The new M-URJA scheme grants a 50 per cent discount on the first 200 units of electricity consumed per month. Crucially, this benefit is now extended to all domestic consumers whose total monthly consumption is up to 400 units. Previously, the 50 per cent discount was limited to consumption up to 100 units.

Consumers using between 200 and 400 units will receive the 50 per cent discount on the charges for the initial 200 units for one year. This provision is expected to benefit an additional 6 lakh consumers, allowing them a 12-month window to install solar power plants under the PM Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme. In total, the scheme will benefit 4.2 million consumers across the state, encouraging their transition to the free electricity provided by the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar scheme.

The Cabinet reiterated its commitment to the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, under which the state government provides a substantial additional subsidy. This includes ₹15,000 for a 1-kilowatt solar plant and an extra ₹30,000 for a plant of 2 kilowatts or more capacity. The dual subsidy approach is intended to accelerate the adoption of solar energy, moving consumers from subsidised electricity to completely free electricity in the future.

In separate decisions, the Council of Ministers also approved significant legislative and procedural changes:

Local Procurement: Amendments to the Chhattisgarh Stores Purchase Rules, 2002 were approved to encourage procurement from local small and micro industries. The changes also aim to streamline procurement procedures on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.

Ease of Business: The Cabinet granted approval to the draft of the Chhattisgarh Private University (Establishment and Operation) (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Furthermore, the draft Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Amendment Bill, 2025, was approved to promote ease of doing business reforms and boost employment generation in the state.