Bhopal, October 14 (Administrative Correspondent) – The State Government has delivered a pre-Diwali gift to its pensioners by announcing a significant increase in Dearness Relief (DR). The Cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday, bringing relief to over 4.5 lakh pensioners across the state. The DR for those under the 7th Pay Commission has been raised by 2%, while pensioners under the 6th Pay Commission will see a 6% increase.
Financial Impact and Revised DR Rates
The hikes are effective from September 1, with payments to be disbursed along with the October pension. This decision will impose an additional financial burden of Rs 170 crore on the state exchequer during the current fiscal year. Previously, 7th Pay Commission pensioners received 53% DR, which now rises to 55%. Similarly, the DR for 6th Pay Commission pensioners will climb from 246% to 252%. The approval came after the Chhattisgarh government gave its consent to the proposal on August 25.
Government to Offer Incentive for Millets (Kodo-Kutki)
The government is set to procure Kodo and Kutki millets for the first time from farmers in major producing districts like Jabalpur, Mandla, and Shahdol under the ‘Rani Durgavati Shree Anna Promotion Scheme.’ Procurement for the Kharif 2025 season will target approximately 30,000 metric tons at Rs 2,500 per quintal for Kodo and Rs 3,500 per quintal for Kutki. Crucially, the government will provide an additional incentive of Rs 1,000 per quintal to farmers via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), bolstering millet cultivation.
Soyabean Farmers to Benefit from Bhavantar Scheme
To benefit soyabean farmers during the Kharif 2025 season, the state is implementing the Centre’s Price Deficit Payment Scheme, locally known as the Bhavantar Yojana. Under this, soyabean will be sold in state-notified mandis from October 24, 2025, to January 15, 2026. The price difference between the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹5,328 and the 14-day average market rate will be transferred directly to the registered farmers’ bank accounts via DBT.
Key Cabinet Decisions Passed
The Cabinet also gave in-principle approval for several other important schemes. These include implementing the Government of India’s ‘Silk Samagra-2’ scheme as ‘Resham Samriddhi Yojana’ with a 25% state share, and launching the ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP)’ scheme with a state share of Rs 31.60 crore. Furthermore, the revised Sardar Patel Coaching Scheme will provide free pre-examination training for various competitive exams to 5,000 youth from backward and minority classes over the next two fiscal years. Constable Arun Singh Bhadoria of the 15th Battalion SAF, Indore, will also receive an out-of-turn promotion to Head Constable (SAF).
