Now Govt to provide 150 days of work under MNREGA

Will incur payment of 50 days work

Will provide Right to Skill Development to youth

Will start Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarojgar Yojana to provide easy loans to unemployed

Will give tax relief to common consumers, small dealers, civil contractors

House passes Chhattisgarh appropriation bill 2013 related to budget 2013-14 through voice vote

Raipur, March 19, 2013

Chief minister Raman Singh on Tuesday announced in Vidhan Sabha that the government would provide 150 days of work under MNREGA and incur payment of 50 days. The CM’s announcement came while he was speaking during debate over Chhattisgarh appropriation bill 2013 related to budget 2013-14 at state assembly. 

“By far, under MNREGA, a registered rural household was getting at least 100 days of guaranteed employment in a year. We had sent a proposal to the Centre to increase job days from 100 to 150 but the latter has not taken any decision in this regard till now. About 50% of the job cardholders are women who do not get any benefit like maternity allowance under this scheme. Therefore, the state government has decided to increase MNREGA work days by additional 50 days. The payment of these 50 days job would be solely incurred by our government,” he said.

He informed the House that job cardholder pregnant women would be entitled to maternity allowance equivalent to a month's wages.

“Again, we will be the fist state to take this initiative and the Centre will surely follow us,” he said.

On youth, he said Chhattisgarh would be first state in the country to provide Right to Skill Development to the youth between 14 to 45 years of age. “Under this right, the government will mandatorily provide opportunity for skill development to the candidate within 90 days of his application. For this, a skill development fund will be constituted,” he informed.

He also announced to start Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarojgar Yojana to provide easy loans to unemployed youth for their self-employment.

He further declared to start Mukhyamantri Yuva Bharat Darshan Yojana (MMYBDY) and establish a sports university at Rajnandgaon. “While the MMYBDY will provide free travel facility to youth for skill enhancement, the sport varsity will promote sporting talents,” he said. 

He informed the House that the government had also launched a scheme to provide free laptops and tablets to about one lakh students of final year at graduation level.

The CM also announced VAT relief for common consumers, small dealers and civil contractors. “The turnover limit for small composition dealers has been raised from Rs 50 lakh per annum to Rs 60 lakh. Similarly, composition fee has been reduced from 0.50% to 0.25% of turnover. This tax relief will benefit about 40000 small dealers and they will be encouraged for self compliance,” he said.

In addition, consumers will relief from tax as the government has decided to reduce VAT from 14% to 5% on mineral water and sealed container water, shrikhand, paneer, cream, marble, Dhaulpur stone and Kota stone.

The state’s steel re-rolling mills, which are facing recession, too have been given relief by reducing VAT from 5% to 3% on steel bars and steel structural. Besides, entry tax on steel tube has been reduced from 1.5% to 0.5%. 

In his budget speech, the CM had announced that composition fee for road contractors, who does not import goods from outside the state, has been reduced from 2% to 1%. Now, it has been further reduced to 0.60%. Likewise, composition fee for other civil contractors, who construct building, bridge, dam etc and import goods from outside the state, has been reduced from 4% to 2%. The civil contractors who do not import goods from outside the state will also get relaxation in composition fee which has been reduced from 2% to 1%.

The VAT on machinery and equipment used in civil construction too has been reduced from 14% to 5%.

The CM said mere announcement of schemes was not enough as the administration too would be made prompt and accountable to ensure effective implementation of all schemes.  

“For this, GIS based monitoring and evaluation of government schemes would be made compulsory for their effective implementation. Besides, Chhattisgarh Lok Seva Guarantee Act will be extended to include more services. Also, appropriate legislation will be enacted to ensure integrity and transparency in public procurement,” he said.

Bhagat sat on dharna

After CM’s address, Congress MLA Amarjeet Bhagat entered the well of the House and sat on dharna demanding medical college in Sarguja.

By entering the well, Bhagat got suspended according to Vidhan Sabha rules. However, leader of the opposition Ravindra Choubey urged the House not to suspend him as he was quickly convinced by the fellow MLA TS Singhdeo to resume his seat.

The parliamentary affairs minister Brijmohan Agrawal too requested Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik to end Bhagat’s suspension period instantly.  

Kaushik announced to end Bhagat’s suspension period and warned the House members not to reiterate such acts again in future.