Honourable Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai’s Independence Day Message – Police Parade Ground, Raipur

Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

Dear residents of the state, Jai Johar…

Many, many greetings to all of you on Independence Day.

1. Today is a day of immense pride for all of us. Fighting against British imperialism, our freedom fighters sacrificed everything and gifted us the light of independence. On this morning of Independence Day, we bow with gratitude to all our brave sons.
2. Along with the seventy-ninth (79th) Independence Day of the country, we are celebrating the development journey of 25 glorious years since the formation of the state of Chhattisgarh as “Chhattisgarh Silver Jubilee Festival”. I am happy to share with you that from this auspicious day we are starting the Chhattisgarh Silver Jubilee Festival. With your participation, we will make this festival unforgettable.
3. Today is also a day to piously remember the heroes of the Parlakot rebellion. Two hundred years have been completed since the Parlakot rebellion, written in golden letters in the fight for the country’s freedom. Even today, the tales of the bravery of martyr Gend Singh are being heard with the same pride by the people of the state, generation after generation.
4. Who can forget the struggle of martyr Veer Narayan Singh to get justice for the hungry and oppressed? On this occasion, I would like to remember Hanuman Singh Ji, the hero of the Raipur sepoy rebellion. Through the Bhumkal rebellion, Veer Gundadhur displayed such incredible bravery for his motherland that it is inscribed in golden letters of history. The sacrifice of our many tribal heroes, including martyr Yadav Rao, Venkat Rao, Dhurva Rao, Debri Dhur, Aytu Mahra, is a unique example of patriotism.
5. We bow to the maker of our state, former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna, revered Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji, who fulfilled his firm resolve and brought about the rise of Chhattisgarh as a new state on the map of the country. We are celebrating Atal Ji’s birth centenary year as the Atal Nirman Year.
6. The sacred land of Chhattisgarh is endowed with natural resources. We have a rich cultural heritage and abundant human resources full of immense enthusiasm. On 1 November 2000, when this state was formed, we saw a dream—of a developed, self-reliant, and inclusive Chhattisgarh. Today, I can proudly say that we are moving rapidly in that direction.
7. Fifty years have been completed since the Emergency. We bow to our democracy fighters, who, in that extremely difficult period of the Emergency, held aloft the torch of democracy without caring for the tortures.
8. We must fulfil our share of responsibility for the motherland. Under the leadership of our successful Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, we must give concrete shape to the vision of a Developed India – Developed Chhattisgarh by the year 2047.
9. We are proud of our brave soldiers, who have always kept the head of the motherland high with their boundless valour and courage. From the attack by Pakistan after the country’s independence in 1947 to Operation Sindoor, every time our soldiers have honoured the tricolour. To avenge the heinous terrorist act in Pahalgam, under the leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, Operation Sindoor was conducted. This operation became a symbol of India’s valour and firm willpower across the world.
10. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, India’s economy has become the fourth largest in the world. Our Chandrayaan has reached the south pole of the moon, and Shubhanshu Shukla has unfurled the tricolour at the International Space Station.
11. Behind this success is the hard work of the countrymen and the special role of our successful Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s visionary leadership, firm resolve, and immense willpower. On this glorious day, we congratulate our security forces personnel, who defeated the Naxalites by entering their hideouts.

12. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji, we are moving rapidly towards the goal of freeing the country from Maoist terrorism by March 2026. In the last 20 months, our soldiers have neutralized 450 Maoists and arrested 1,578.

13. Our soldiers succeeded in neutralizing top Maoist leaders Basavaraju and Sudhakar. Influenced by the attractive surrender policy of the state government, 1,589 Maoists have laid down their arms. Arrangements have been made for their rehabilitation, skill development, and employment.

14. The true meaning of good governance is when its benefits reach the very last person. Tadmetla, where our 76 soldiers sacrificed their lives in a Maoist attack, is near Chintagufa’s health centre, which has received a national quality certificate. Here, on average, 20 deliveries take place every month and thousands of villagers are availing free treatment facilities.

15. As Naxalism has declined, the pace of development in Bastar has rapidly increased. 50 closed schools have been reopened, and many villages have received electricity for the first time. Through the “Niyad Nella Naar” (meaning Your Good Village) scheme, basic facilities have reached 327 villages. Pamed, which was once a Maoist stronghold, now has a bank branch opened there.

16. In the last 20 months, we have carried out remarkable work towards fulfilling the guarantees given to the citizens of the state by Prime Minister Modi Ji.

17. In the very first meeting of the cabinet, we approved 18 lakh (1.8 million) Pradhan Mantri Awas (Prime Minister Housing) units. Under the PM Janman scheme, 34,000 houses were sanctioned for particularly vulnerable tribal groups, and 15,000 houses for Naxal-affected and surrendered Naxalites. Eligibility rules have been simplified, and a survey under Awas Plus 2.0 has been conducted for new beneficiaries. In this way, the dream of every citizen to have a permanent home is being fulfilled.

18. Women’s empowerment is our government’s highest priority. Within three months of forming the government, we started the Mahatari Vandan Yojana. In the state, 70 lakh (7 million) women are receiving financial assistance of ₹1,000 each every month. Through this scheme, women are taking steps towards self-reliance.

19. Under the Mahatari Vandan Yojana, an amount of ₹11,728 crore has been given so far to mothers and sisters. In Raigarh district, we have entrusted women’s groups with the work of producing ready-to-eat food, and we will soon expand this to other districts.

20. The welfare of the state’s farmer brothers is our highest priority. Through the Krishak Unnati Yojana, farmers of Chhattisgarh are getting the highest price for paddy. In the last Kharif season, we made a record procurement of 149 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.

21. To promote crop diversity in the state, our government has expanded the scope of the Krishak Unnati Yojana. Farmers who grow crops other than paddy during the Kharif season will now receive ₹11,000 per acre, and those cultivating pulses, oilseeds, maize, kodo, kutki, ragi, and cotton will receive input assistance of ₹10,000 per acre.

22. We have started the Deendayal Upadhyay Bhoomihin Krishak Mazdoor Kalyan Yojana. Under this, 5,62,000 landless agricultural labourers in the state are being given ₹10,000 per year as financial assistance.

23. 26 lakh (2.6 million) farmer brothers of Chhattisgarh are benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. The special point is that 32,500 farmers from particularly vulnerable tribal groups are also benefiting from this scheme.

24. In the Kharif season, we have ensured adequate arrangements for fertilizers and seeds. Where there was a shortfall in DAP supply due to global tensions, we provided sufficient quantities of Nano-DAP to remove the difficulties of our farmer brothers.

25. We are realizing the possibilities of cooperatives in the state. Along with farming, we are also promoting livestock and fisheries. To boost milk production in the state and the income of livestock owners, we have signed an MoU with the NDDB (National Dairy Development Board).

26. The year 2025 has been declared the International Year of Cooperatives. Under the guidance of Union Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah Ji, we are taking cooperative activities in the state to new heights by following the mantra of “Prosperity through Cooperation.”

27. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that education can bring about major changes in society. Along with implementing the New Education Policy, we have rationalized schools and teachers as per its provisions. Now, there are teachers even in the remote villages of Sukma. From the capital Raipur to schools in hill Korwa settlements, the teacher-student ratio is uniform across the state. In our schools, the teacher-student ratio is better than the national average.

28. We are also running the Chief Minister’s Education Quality Campaign in government schools. Through parents-teacher meetings and Nyoata Bhoj (community meal invitations), we have ensured community participation in the educational development of children, which is showing excellent results. We have made a provision of ₹133 crore for school maintenance and infrastructure development.

29. In Naya Raipur, we are building an Education City on 100 acres. To promote science and research, we are also constructing a Science City here.

30. In Naya Raipur, we have performed the foundation ceremony for the campus of the National Forensic Sciences University. The importance of forensics has greatly increased under the new laws implemented in the country, which will provide the youth of the state with career-building opportunities in this field.

31. The IT and AI revolution has arrived in Chhattisgarh. We are preparing Naya Raipur to be the Silicon Valley of Central India. We are setting up the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology in Naya Raipur, which will create a large IT talent pool here.

32. We are preparing a workforce according to the needs of the job market. To skill the youth of the state, work is being done under the Skill India Mission. In Naya Raipur, we are starting a Livelihood Centre of Excellence. In all 32 development blocks of the tribal-majority Bastar division, we are providing youth with training in various trades through skill development centres.

33. We have signed an MoU with the alumni association of IITs, PanIIT, to empower disadvantaged communities. This institution will work to promote skill development. Along with skill development, our youth will also be trained in foreign languages so that they can access employment opportunities abroad as well.

35. Along with ease of living, moving towards the speed of business, we have implemented more than 350 reforms. Through the Single Window System, investment in the state has become simple, smooth, and transparent.

36. On the foundation of the new industrial policy, the grand structure of a developed Chhattisgarh will be built. In the new industrial policy, we have placed the highest emphasis on the power sector. We have received investment proposals worth more than ₹3 lakh crore in this sector. This will make Chhattisgarh the powerhouse of a developed India.

37. Chhattisgarh has become a preferred state for investors. We have organized investors’ summits in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, as well as in Raipur. Through these summits, we have so far received investment proposals worth ₹6.65 lakh crore.

38. In the new industrial policy, we are also giving special grants to emerging industries of the new era. We have laid the foundation stone for Chhattisgarh’s first semiconductor unit. With an estimated cost of around ₹1,100 crore, this unit marks our entry into the field of chip manufacturing.

39. We want to turn potential in the textile sector into opportunity. For this, we are going to set up a campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Naya Raipur. Its estimated cost will be ₹271 crore. This will create large-scale employment opportunities.

40. We have decided to form an authority for the development of the state capital region on the lines of the National Capital Region. This authority will work for the organized and planned development of the capital area.

41. This authority will also be responsible for preparing plans for the capital region, promoting investment, coordinating between various government and private organizations, and properly regulating the city’s expansion.

42. This is the era of e-commerce. To promote it, our Logistics Policy will be particularly useful, and it will lead to rapid investment in inland container depots and dry ports in the state.

43. When our state was formed, the infrastructure was not suited to an industrial environment. The investment opportunities that have emerged in Chhattisgarh are largely due to the infrastructure projects carried out over the past decade. By the year 2030, we will lay as much railway track as was laid from the start of Indian Railways in 1853 up to the year 2014.

44. New railway projects such as the doubling of the KK Line from Raoghat to Jagdalpur and a new line from Kothagudem in Telangana to Kirandul will prove to be the lifeline of Bastar. The Kharsia to Parmlaksa railway line will connect the state’s important industrial hubs. These new railway lines will become the arteries of a “Developed India – Developed Chhattisgarh.”

45. We have also started cargo services from Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur. The construction of expressways connecting industrial hubs such as Dhanbad and Visakhapatnam is progressing rapidly.

46. The economic health of a state can be gauged by the amount of electricity consumed there. Our state is a zero power-cut state. The per capita energy consumption in our state is 2,211 units, while the national average is 1,255 units per capita.

47. We have taken a major step toward energy self-reliance. We are moving rapidly from half electricity bills toward free electricity. The Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Free Electricity Scheme is a significant step in the field of green energy. Through this scheme, ordinary citizens are now becoming electricity producers instead of just consumers.

48. Under this scheme, attractive subsidies are being provided by both the central and state governments for the installation of solar plants. For a 1 kW solar plant, the central government provides ₹30,000 and the state government ₹15,000, making a total subsidy of ₹45,000. For a 2 kW plant, the central government provides ₹60,000 and the state ₹30,000, totaling ₹90,000. For a 3 kW plant, the central government provides ₹78,000 and the state ₹30,000, totaling ₹1.08 lakh. I urge the people of the state to take immediate advantage of this scheme. Clean energy is not just an environmental option—it is an economic and strategic necessity of the present time.

49. Good governance is our highest priority. We have implemented the e-Office system in all departments. Files now move online, decisions are made within fixed timelines, and transparency is ensured at every level. To bring transparency to government procurement, we have adopted the GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal. The EOW (Economic Offences Wing) is promptly investigating corruption cases. To bring youth into public policy, we have launched the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Fellowship Scheme, through which young people are pursuing a two-year fellowship at IIM Raipur.

50. Through Good Governance Festivals, we reached your villages and neighborhoods. Seeing the happiness and enthusiasm on the faces of beneficiaries there made us feel that our efforts were worthwhile. In this festival, we received more than 4.1 million applications, and we have resolved most of them with quality solutions.

51. Corruption thrives when citizens are forced to make repeated visits to government offices. The real solution is when people don’t need to visit offices at all. We have taken 10 revolutionary initiatives related to property registration. Now, we have ensured the facility for online registration. Along with registration, mutation is also done instantly. Due to Aadhaar authentication, there is no risk of fraud. Ordinary citizens do not need legal experts to prepare registration-related documents. Family donations, relinquishment of rights, and partitions can now be done with just a ₹500 fee.

52. Through the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code Amendment Bill, we have simplified the rules. Registration of agricultural land smaller than 5 decimals will not be allowed. The aim is to prevent illegal plotting and the sale of land by dividing it into very small pieces.

53. We are among the leading states to pass the Public Trust Bill. Through this bill, we have amended 163 provisions of 8 state acts. Small cases consume valuable court time and waste a lot of citizens’ time. Minor technical violations committed by ordinary citizens and businesses will no longer be treated as criminal offences.

54. The leadership of a developed Chhattisgarh will be in the hands of youth. The government is working rapidly on recruitment for government posts for young people. For the first time since the formation of the state, a full-year examination calendar for Vyapam (state recruitment board) has been released.

55. Our government is also consistently working to promote sports talent. We are working to involve the private sector in this effort. In the new industrial policy, we have made special provisions for grants to establish sports academies and private training centers. To encourage young talent, we have decided to start the Yuva Ratna Samman (Youth Jewel Award) scheme.

56. Giving top priority to healthcare services, we are improving health center facilities with an investment of ₹441 crore. 543 government hospitals in the state have received quality certification. Recruitment of medical staff in hospitals is ongoing. Last month, under the NHM (National Health Mission), we appointed 109 contractual doctors and 563 bond doctors. We are building a Medicity in Naya Raipur, where super-specialty hospitals of national standard will operate.

57. After the recent local body elections, the state has gained a “third engine” for development. Public aspirations are being fulfilled rapidly. Rural development is being pursued with a fresh approach. To improve the appearance of urban bodies, we have launched the Chief Minister’s Urban Renewal Scheme. Under this, works worth ₹157 crore have been approved in seven municipal corporations, including projects such as oxygen zones, bus terminals, bypass roads, and auditorium construction.

58. The effort by Prime Minister Modi to make the Swachh Bharat Mission a mass movement is now visible in every village and city. I am pleased that our state’s urban bodies have achieved good rankings in the Swachh Survekshan. The Prime Minister, in his Mann Ki Baat program, specially praised our sanitation sisters (Swachhta Didis) from Bilha. I congratulate the entire state team associated with this grand cleanliness drive for this success.

59. Our government is consistently working to expand basic facilities in villages as well as cities. In the first phase of the Chief Minister Rural Bus Service Scheme, we are going to start operations in the Bastar and Sarguja divisions. These buses will be operated by local people themselves. This will make travel easier for rural residents and help remove their day-to-day difficulties.

60. We are moving ahead with the Bodhghat Multipurpose Project. This ₹50,000 crore project will generate 200 MW of electricity and expand irrigation facilities to nearly 7 lakh hectares of land. For the expansion of irrigation facilities in the state, improvement works worth ₹522 crore will be undertaken in 9 irrigation projects.

61. We are taking several measures for the upliftment of the tribal community. The collection rate paid to tendu leaf collectors has been increased from ₹4,000 to ₹5,500 per standard bag. This will benefit 5 million people from 1.25 million tendu leaf collector families.

62. For people living in forest areas, tendu leaves are “green gold.” To ensure that collectors do not get blisters or thorns in their feet while collecting tendu leaves, we have relaunched the Charan Paduka Scheme. This scheme is a fine example of the protection, respect, and upliftment of tendu leaf collectors.

63. To promote herbal medicines, we recently inaugurated a Herbal Extraction Unit at Jamgaon (M) in Durg district under the Forest to Pharmacy model. This has created direct and indirect employment opportunities for 2,000 people.

64. To encourage the preservation of cultural heritage, our government has decided to provide an annual honorarium of ₹5,000 each to Baiga, Guniya, and Sirha traditional healers. To increase public interest in the beautiful tribal culture of the state, we inaugurated the Tribal Museum in Naya Raipur three months ago.

65. A Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Freedom Fighter Memorial-cum-Museum is being constructed in honor of the tribal heroes of the state’s freedom struggle.

66. To showcase Bastar’s tribal culture to the nation and the world, we organized the Bastar Pandum festival. Bastar is now on the global tourism map. The village of Dhurmaras in Bastar has been selected by the UN World Tourism Organization as one of the “Best Tourism Villages.” To promote home-stays, we have introduced the Chhattisgarh Home-Stay Policy.

67. We are not only preserving our natural resources but also continuously enhancing them. We have initiated linking forest ecological services with Green GDP. In the recent India State of Forest Report, it was reported that Chhattisgarh has seen an increase of 683 square kilometers in combined forest and tree cover—the highest in the country. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, more than 35 million saplings were planted in the past year under the “One Tree in Mother’s Name” campaign.

68. To promote the state’s art and culture, 10 acres of land have been allocated in Naya Raipur for the establishment of Kalagram. The pension amount given to artists and litterateurs has been increased from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 per month.

69. We are fortunate that more than 22,000 devotees from the state were able to visit Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Dham through the Shri Ram Lalla Ayodhya Dham Darshan Yojana. Through the Chief Minister Teerth Darshan Yojana, we are also facilitating pilgrimages to sacred sites across the country for devotees.

70. Our respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has turned the idea of swadeshi (indigenous goods) into a mass movement. Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) is the resolve of 1.4 billion Indians—to stand on our own feet, to innovate, and to share our strength with the world.

71. On this Independence Day, we must all pledge to use more and more swadeshi products. To ensure that our state of Chhattisgarh plays a leading role in advancing the Prime Minister’s Vocal for Local campaign, we all must come forward. Swadeshi is not just a means of generating employment; it is also an act of patriotism.

72. Through our new industrial policy, we are working on the Prime Minister’s Local for Global vision to provide global platforms for products made in the state. In our daily lives, through small initiatives, we can adopt indigenous and local products. This creates employment not only for local artisans, weavers, and craftsmen, but also for a large number of people who are the pillars of our economy.

73. The increase in production and use of swadeshi products directly results in the economic prosperity of the nation and the state. This reduces our dependence on imports. For example, by increasing the use of khadi—the biggest symbol of swadeshi—we can bring significant changes to the lives of local weavers and build a global identity for ourselves in the textile sector.

74. By encouraging MSMEs, we are increasing our participation in the Make in India campaign. Micro, small, and medium enterprises must pay special attention to the quality of their products. For MSMEs, the Zero Defect – Zero Effect mantra given by the Prime Minister is extremely effective.

75. Products made at our village, town, and district levels are no less in quality than others. For this, they must adopt digital resources, innovation, information and communication technology, and technologies like AI. Now, along with “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan,” we will also move forward with the motto “Jai Anusandhan” (Victory to Research).

76. Through the Make in India campaign, and by achieving self-reliance in the defense sector, India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is emerging as an exporter of military equipment.

77. Today, the climate crisis is having a direct impact on our lives, and agriculture is no exception. In such times, chemical-free, natural farming will not only increase farmers’ incomes but also benefit our health. By promoting the production of Shree Anna (millets), pulses, oilseeds, and coarse grains, farmers in Chhattisgarh can reduce agricultural costs. This will also reduce our dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

78. This inspiring occasion of Independence Day reminds us of our duties towards the nation. To build an Atmanirbhar Bharat, I appeal to the people of the state to take this pledge in the interest of the nation:

• Every citizen should consider buying indigenous products an act of patriotism…
• Every business should make quality and sustainability mandatory…
• Every innovator should think of India first…
• Every farmer should adopt environmentally friendly, inclusive agriculture…
• Every sector should move from dependence to self-reliance…

79. The Prime Minister has set a target of building a developed India by 2047. In this direction, we have prepared a roadmap in the form of the Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision document, through which we will achieve the goal of a developed Chhattisgarh.

80. Chhattisgarh is the second state in the country to have prepared a vision document. In it, we have set short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. To achieve these, we have chosen 13 themes of socio-economic development and prepared 10 missions for their implementation.

81. The Police Commissionerate system will soon be implemented in Raipur, which will further strengthen the policing system.

82. With the cooperation of you all, we are moving forward with firm resolve to shape the state of Chhattisgarh.

The lines of Jaishankar Prasad come to mind:
“The aim of this path is not to rest in a weary shelter,
but to reach that boundary beyond which there is no road.”

Goswami Tulsidas’s words “Without doing the work of Lord Ram, where can I find rest?” are our guiding motto.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s principle of Antyodaya (upliftment of the last person) serves as our guiding light.

83. The commitment to good governance of our state’s founder, the revered Atal Ji, gives us strength. With the participation of every citizen, we will surely achieve the goal of building a developed Chhattisgarh.

84. Let us all, in this Silver Jubilee year of the formation of Chhattisgarh State, take the pledge on this auspicious occasion of Independence Day for a Developed India – Developed Chhattisgarh.

85. Once again, I bow with deep respect to all freedom fighters, salute our brave soldiers, and extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you on Independence Day.

Ram Ram. Jai Bharat – Jai Chhattisgarh.