Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurates two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ at IIM Raipur; cabinet ministers participate. 
Raipur. In a unique initiative, the Chhattisgarh Government engaged with subject experts from IIMs and prestigious institutions across the country to discuss the pathway for the implementation of ‘Viksit Chhattisgarh (developed Chhattisgarh Viksit Bharat (developed India)’ vision. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday inaugurated the two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Raipur. Chief Minister Sai, accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, along with other cabinet ministers, is actively participating in the event. This type of intellectual discourse and ‘Chintan Shivir’ with subject experts had been organised in Gujarat earlier. This is the first time in the country that an entire state cabinet has gathered to gain knowledge from renowned subject experts from their respective fields and discussed the pathway for developing the state. Extensive discussions were held throughout the day in the ‘Chintan Shivir’ held at IIM Raipur. Just as a farmer toils hard to prepare the land for cultivation, Chhattisgarh’s top leadership is striving to give a concrete shape to the dream of a ‘Viskit Chhattisgarh (developed Chhattisgarh)’. They sought opinions from subject experts to make the prepared vision effective, drawing on their suggestions for effective implementation. It was decided at the ‘Chintan Shivir’ that the vision of a ‘Viskit Chhattisgarh’ (developed Chhattisgarh) should be taken to all sections of society. The dreams of a ‘Viskit Chhattisgarh’ (developed Chhattisgarh) will be fulfilled by creating awareness and ensuring participation from everyone. Discussions with subject experts continued late into the night, delving into the intricacies of Chhattisgarh’s potential.
The inaugural session featured an address by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam. In his speech, Shri Subrahmanyam elaborated on the concept of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) and outlined strategies to achieve it. He spoke about India’s significant progress over the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, positioning the country among the major global economies. Prime Minister Modi has set a target for a developed India by 2047, for which a comprehensive strategy has been devised. Shri Subrahmanyam pointed out in his speech that Prime Minister Modi places a strong emphasis on scale, speed, and innovation. Considering the evolving international landscape and the passage of time, the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ has been prepared to carve out a distinctive position for India. He stated that the spotlight of the global community is now turning towards the Global South. The vision now extends from West to East, with India positioned to seize the opportunities that arise. India’s demographic dividend, strategic positioning, and the swift pace of reforms have primed the nation to advance in this direction. He noted that having a vision provides a natural guide map, steering our actions in alignment with it as we continue to progress forward. Regarding Chhattisgarh’s role in realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’, Shri Subrahmanyam stated “Chhattisgarh will play a crucial role in achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’. The state holds vast potential for advancement and rapid progress towards becoming a developed region. By consistently advancing in this path, Chhattisgarh will not only contribute significantly to its own development but also play a pivotal role in realizing the objectives of a developed India.” He stressed the importance of persistent efforts to actualize the vision of a developed India, ensuring prosperity for all. Addressing challenges such as climate change necessitates a concerted focus on sustainable development, with an emphasis on promoting green energy initiatives.
The ‘Chintan Shivir’ witnessed in-depth discussion across crucial sectors like health, infrastructure, mining, and public finance to point out strategies for achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Chhattisgarh’ (developed Chhattisgarh) and prosperity for its people. Emphasis was laid on robust health infrastructure to tackle future emergencies, promoting research, and strengthening public health services. Discussions were held on adopting best mining practices from other states while keeping environmental aspects in mind. Developing world-class infrastructure across urban and rural areas to ensure economic prosperity reaches all parts was a key focus area. Leveraging Chhattisgarh’s strengths like surplus revenue, fiscal discipline, low debt-GDP ratio, and rich mineral and forest resources, the need to increase agricultural productivity, crop diversification, and developing skilled human resources for industries and tourism was stressed. Special discussions also took place on experiential activities for effective team management.
All cabinet ministers actively engaged in the dialogue, shedding light on the policies formulated in Chhattisgarh towards this goal. In addition, they posed queries to Shri Subrahmanyam, sparking meaningful discussions in line with the objectives of ‘Viksit Chhattisgarh’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’. The two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ is dedicated to meaningful discussions on Chhattisgarh’s vision. Topics ranging from the sustainable utilisation of resources to the convergence of schemes are being discussed.
Cabinet ministers including Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam, Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap, Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel, Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Industry Minister Lakhan Lal Dewangan, Finance Minister Shri OP Choudhary, Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade, and Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Tank Ram Verma attended the event.