BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a Rs 1,782 crore special relief package for families affected by submergence due to three major multipurpose dam and irrigation projects in the state.
The decision was taken at a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. The package will benefit families displaced by the Upper Narmada Project, Raghavpur Multipurpose Project and Basania Multipurpose Project in Anuppur, Mandla and Dindori districts.
The special package is in addition to Rs 1,656.02 crore already earmarked for rehabilitation and compensation in the detailed project reports (DPRs) of the three projects.
Officials said the total cost of the Upper Narmada, Raghavpur and Basania projects stands at Rs 5,512.11 crore. Together, the projects are expected to provide irrigation facilities for 71,967 hectares of land and generate 125 megawatts of electricity. As many as 13,873 families are likely to be affected by submergence and will receive compensation of Rs 12.50 lakh per family under the special package. In addition, around 50,000 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families will be given extra compensation.
In another key decision, the cabinet approved a provision of Rs 90.67 crore under the revenue head for 2025–26 towards operation and maintenance of the Bhopal and Indore Metro Rail projects. The decision comes just four days before Bhopal is set to become the second city in the state, after Indore, to have an operational metro service.
The cabinet also cleared Rs 48 crore for setting up six Forest Science Centres in the state between 2025–26 and 2029–30. The centres aim to promote forestry activities outside forest areas, improve forest land productivity, encourage agroforestry and create additional income opportunities through timber harvesting. Non-government organisations will also be allowed to establish such centres with permission from the Forest Department.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the continuation of the Chief Minister’s Udyam Kranti Yojana from 2026–27 to 2030–31, with an expenditure of Rs 905.25 crore. Under the scheme, youth aged 18 to 45 years are provided bank loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 50 lakh for self-employment, along with a 3 per cent annual interest subsidy and loan guarantee fee support for up to seven years.
In a significant administrative reform, the cabinet approved measures to remove the distinction between sanctioned permanent and temporary posts in state government departments. It cleared amendments to recruitment rules to convert existing sanctioned temporary posts into permanent ones and decided to declare all work-charged and contingency posts as non-sanctioned, with no fresh appointments to be made under these categories.