![[File] Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai chairs a cabinet meeeting, at Mahanadi Bhawan in Nava Raipur | PTI](https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/news/india/images/2023/12/14/vishnu-deo-sai-cabinet-meeting-pti.jpg.image.340.191.jpg "[File] Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai chairs a cabinet meeeting, at Mahanadi Bhawan in Nava Raipur | PTI")
The Vishnu Deo Sai led BJP government in Chhattisgarh will be recommending a CBI probe in the state public service commission (PSC) scam as promised prior to assembly polls.
A decision to get the scam related to the 2021 state civil services exam probed by the central agency was taken at a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. A government release said that the decision was taken in view of complaints received from the candidates who had appeared for the exam.
There had been a lot of hue and cry about irregularities in the exam and the BJP had made it a big poll issue, promising a CBI probe. The main allegation was that relatives of the PSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani, erstwhile secretary to Governor, Amrit Kumar Xalxo, other senior government officials and Congress leaders had been given preference in the selection for the posts like deputy collector and deputy superintendents of police. BJP leader Nankiram Kanwar had filed a petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court and the hearing in the case is continuing.
The CGPSC had conducted the state civil services exam for 170 government posts. The preliminary exam, held in February 2021, was cleared by 2,565 candidates. The mains were conducted in May 2022 and 509 were declared successful. Following the result of personal interviews the same year, a final list of 170 successful candidates was announced.
The Congress has called the decision for a CBI probe “a political propaganda”.
“Isn’t the Chhattisgarh police capable enough to conduct an investigation in the matter? Isn’t the BJP government confident of its own police force?,” Congress chief spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla asked while talking to THE WEEK.
21 quintal paddy procurement at MSP
The Sai cabinet also approved the decision to procure maximum 21 quintal paddy per acre at minimum support price (MSP) during the ongoing procurement process. A government release said “with the decision, the BJP election promise to procure 21 quintal of paddy (per acre) has been fulfilled. This promise to procure (21 quintal) paddy was part of guarantees by PM Narnedra Modi.”
However, there was no word on the much publicized poll promise of increasing the procurement price to Rs 3,100 per quintal. In the previous Congress regime, farmers would get Rs 2,640 per quintal of paddy, including a state government funded bonus of Rs 600 per quintal.
With the BJP government simply mentioning in the cabinet decision that “maximum 21 quintal per acre paddy will be procured at MSP”, the feeling is that farmers will get just the central government announced MSP of Rs 2,183 per quintal for paddy common and Rs 2,203 for paddy grade A.
The Congress has accused the BJP government of cheating the farmer by keeping mum about the Rs 3,100 procurement price.
“Paddy procurement is going on and the last date is January 31. The failure of the government to announce the increased price has left the farmers very confused and disappointed. Even if they plan to increase the price later in the month, they could have given some indication in the cabinet meeting,” Shukla said while talking to THE WEEK.
He also said that the government failed to take any decision on increasing the duration of paddy procurement. “Since 21 quintal per acre paddy is to be procured instead of the current 20 quintal, the total procurement will go up to about 150 lakh metric tonnes and it won’t be possible to complete the procurement till the last date of January 31,” Shukla said.
No decision on Mahtari Vandan scheme
Meanwhile, the BJP government continues to remain silent on another of its much publicized promise of cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to women through Mahtari Vandan Scheme.
This promise is said to have turned the tide significantly towards the BJP during the assembly polls through the women voters. It was expected that the government would be announcing the scheme soon after taking office, but though other poll promises are being fulfilled, there is no word yet on when the cash assistance scheme might be launched.
Shukla said that the BJP is already failing to keep its major promises to the people.
Earlier in December, during its first cabinet meeting, the Sai-led government approved the decision to provide PM Housing for 18 lakh families in keeping with its manifesto.
