The Chief Minister said Chhattisgarh is the first state to establish a Department of Good Governance and Convergence. (Special Arrangement)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday said good governance should be reflected in people’s lives and the functioning of officials, not remain limited to files and policies. He was speaking at the Chief Minister’s Excellence Award 2025–26 programme held in Nava Raipur.
At the event, organised by the Department of Good Governance and Convergence, five departments and five districts were awarded for innovation and effective governance. The Chief Minister also launched the e-Pragati portal to monitor construction works costing over Rs 25 crore across all state departments. The portal will track projects from approval to payments and physical progress, with direct oversight by the Chief Minister’s Office.
Sai said the core objective of good governance is to ensure easy access to basic services, especially for the last person in society. He cited Atal Digital Service Centres in panchayats, which provide Aadhaar, pension, banking and bill payment services at one location. He said the e-Pragati portal would improve transparency, coordination and time-bound implementation of major projects, and directed officials to ensure regular data updates.
The Chief Minister said Chhattisgarh is the first state to establish a Department of Good Governance and Convergence. Over the past two years, more than 400 policy reforms have been undertaken, including repeal of obsolete laws. From next year, the Excellence Awards will be expanded to eight sectors such as e-governance, service delivery, and rural and urban development. He also announced the launch of “Pahal” to support new ideas and “Prerna” to scale up successful initiatives, along with a Chief Minister Helpline for grievance redressal.
Sai said technology has become central to governance reforms. E-Office has reduced delays and increased accountability, while biometric attendance is being introduced in phases. Online mineral transport permits, GeM-linked procurement and digitised property registration have improved transparency and reduced corruption.
He said 41 lakh applications were resolved under Sushasan Tihar through direct village outreach. Under the new industrial policy, investment proposals worth over Rs 7.83 lakh crore were received in the past year. A development roadmap up to 2030 has been prepared under the Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision.
Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel congratulated all award-winning teams.