Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai, the Chhattisgarh Cabinet convened on Wednesday at Mahanadi Bhawan and cleared several major decisions pertaining to mining regulations, agricultural land valuation, and sports infrastructure development in the state.
New Rules under PMKKKY Guidelines
In a significant move, the cabinet approved amendments to the Chhattisgarh District Mineral Institute Trust Rules, 2015 in line with the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) – 2024 guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Mines. As per the revised framework, at least 70% of the Trust’s funds must now be spent on high-priority sectors such as drinking water, health, education, agriculture, women and child welfare, senior citizens and disabled welfare, skill development, cleanliness, housing, environmental protection, and animal husbandry.
Sand Mining Regulations Overhauled
The cabinet has scrapped the 2019 and 2023 rules related to sand excavation and trading in the general and Scheduled Areas. In their place, the Chhattisgarh Minor Mineral Ordinary Sand (Excavation and Business) Rules, 2025 were approved. The new rules are aimed at:
- Ensuring transparency and accountability in sand excavation.
- Curbing illegal mining and transportation.
- Making sand available at affordable rates to the public.
- Increasing government revenue through allocation of sand mines via electronic auction.
- Enforcing strict environmental and safety norms during mining activities.
Land Valuation System Revised
In another key reform, the cabinet accepted the Commercial Tax Registration Department’s proposal to revamp the method for assessing agricultural land value:
- The 500 sq. metre ceiling for assessing market value of rural agricultural land will be eliminated.
- Entire land plots will now be valued at the per hectare rate.
- The provision of valuing converted rural land at 2.5 times the irrigated land rate has been removed.
- For villages near urban limits and designated investment areas, land valuation will now be calculated per square metre.
These changes aim to prevent land-related irregularities such as those reported in the Bharatmala Project and Arpa Bhainsajhar (Bilaspur) cases.
Land Allotted for Cricket Academy in Nava Raipur
To promote sports, the cabinet also approved the allotment of 7.96 acres of land in Sector-3, Village Parasada, Nava Raipur (Atal Nagar) to the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association for establishing a state-of-the-art cricket academy.
The academy will provide international-level training facilities to nurture young cricketing talent across the state. It is expected to offer a major boost to the development of cricket in Chhattisgarh and help the state earn recognition at national and international platforms.
The cabinet decisions are part of the Chhattisgarh government’s broader strategy to ensure economic development, good governance, and youth empowerment through regulatory reforms and infrastructure investments.
