Grant demands worth over ₹11,470 crore passed for Finance Minister OP Choudhary’s departments

GST 2.0 brings relief to the public, record increase in tax revenue

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly passed grant demands worth ₹11,470 crore 62 lakh 50 thousand for the departments of Finance Minister OP Choudhary for the financial year 2026-27. These include ₹9,630 crore 30 lakh 20 thousand for the Finance Department, ₹1,247 crore for the Housing and Environment Department, ₹82 crore 49 lakh 60 thousand for the Planning, Economic and Statistics Department, and ₹510 crore 82 lakh 70 thousand for the Commercial Tax Department.

Responding to the discussion on the grant demands, Finance Minister OP Choudhary stated that the government’s goal is to provide a strong economic base for the state through financial discipline, transparency, technological reforms, and inclusive development.

Government’s focus on housing, environment, and the development of Naya Raipur

During the discussion on the demands of the Housing and Environment Department in the budget session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, Minister OP Choudhary provided detailed information on the department’s achievements and upcoming plans. He stated that the strong foundation of any society’s development rests on safe and dignified housing, and therefore, the state government is committed to providing better housing to its citizens.

He added that at the time of the government’s formation, the Housing Board had 3,219 properties worth ₹442 crore (approximately $1.2 billion) unsold for a long time, and the Board had a debt of ₹735 crore (approximately $1.2 billion) for the construction of government colonies. The state government improved the Board’s financial position by making provisions in the budget for a lump sum payment of the loan.

Minister Choudhary stated that a one-time settlement scheme has been implemented for the sale of long-standing unsold properties. Under this scheme, 1,410 properties have been sold so far for approximately ₹210 crore (approximately $2.1 billion). For future projects, the Board has decided to implement a demand-driven construction system, under which construction of new homes will begin only after receiving sufficient bookings.

Minister O P Chaudhary stated that the objective of the Chhattisgarh Housing Board is not just to build houses, but to provide safe, dignified, and comfortable housing to every citizen of the state. Following the Board’s improved financial position, new projects have been launched across the state. He stated, “I am pleased to inform you that in the last two years, the Chhattisgarh Housing Board has launched 78 new projects worth Rs. 3069 crore in 27 of the state’s 33 districts, with a target of constructing 16,782 new properties.

The Board will soon launch new projects in the remaining districts as well.” This initiative of the Board is receiving a positive response from the public. A state-level housing fair was organized in November 2025 to initiate bookings, during which bookings for 1,477 properties worth Rs. 305 crore were received in just three days.”

Giving details of efforts made in the field of environmental protection, Minister OP Choudhary stated that the Environment Protection Board has taken several important steps in the past two years.

To prevent pollution caused by flying and falling raw materials, fly ash, and other solid waste during transportation, the Chhattisgarh Environment Protection Board has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which provides for the proper covering of fly ash for transportation. This SOP is effective from August 1, 2024. Violations of the SOP are being continuously monitored, and environmental compensation is imposed in the event of violations.

The Industrial Waste Management and Monitoring System (IWMMS) has been developed to monitor the disposal of fly ash generated by industries, along with GPS and geotagging to monitor the transportation/landfilling of fly ash. Since its launch, a total of 144,291 trips have been made in the state.

The Chhattisgarh Environment Protection Board has developed the CG Nigrani portal to monitor emissions and pollution from establishments in the state in real time and ensure compliance with environmental standards. A total of 124 industries have been connected to this portal.

These industries have installed IoT-based devices that collect data through Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS), Effluent Quality Monitoring Systems, and Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems. This system has been installed in 17 highly polluting industries.

Finance Minister Chaudhary said that with the help of the CG Nigrani system, continuous online monitoring of industrial emissions and pollution levels has been initiated. The system immediately issues alerts if an industry’s emissions exceed the permissible limit.

Furthermore, if pollution standards are violated, notices are issued to industries through this system. He stated that our state is not only moving towards modern development, but is also committed to the preservation and development of its cultural and historical heritage. In this regard, a provision of approximately ₹36 crore has been made for the development of the Sirpur area through the Sirpur Special Area Development Authority.

Finance Minister Mr. Chaudhary stated that prestigious institutions like HNLU, IIIT, and IIM are operating in Naya Raipur. We have strived to develop Naya Raipur as an educational hub not only for the state but also for the country.

I am proud to announce that national-level institutions like NIFT, NIELIT, and NFSU are also being established in Naya Raipur. He stated that the path for the establishment of the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) has been paved, and its operations will commence very soon. The arrival of such an institution will not only benefit the students of the state but will also firmly establish Naya Raipur as an educational hub across the country. Minister Mr. Chaudhary stated that we had mentioned the establishment of a State Capital Region in our manifesto.

It is a matter of both joy and pride for us that we enacted the State Capital Region Act and passed it through this House. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Dev Sai, the Chhattisgarh State Capital Region has also been formed, with its first meeting held today in the Assembly under the Chief Minister’s leadership. *Commercial Tax (GST) Department* Responding to the discussion on the Commercial Tax (GST) Department’s grant demands in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly,

Minister O.P. Choudhary stated that with the implementation of GST 2.0, tax rates have been rationalized to provide relief to the general public. Minister Choudhary stated that Chhattisgarh has made significant progress in GST revenue collection. In the financial year 2024-25, Chhattisgarh ranked first in the country, registering an 18 percent increase in the state’s GST revenue. He stated that several important decisions have been taken to facilitate trade. Effective April 1, 2025, petrol prices have been reduced by ₹1 per liter.

The internal e-way bill limit in the state has been increased from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh, benefiting approximately 26 percent of traders and reducing compliance costs by approximately 54 percent. Minister Mr. Chaudhary stated that for the convenience of taxpayers, GST offices have been established in all 33 districts of the state, including 6 new regional offices and 3 new circle branches.

A state-level GST call center has also been established to provide GST-related guidance and assistance to businesses. Minister Mr. OP Chaudhary stated that, upon the completion of eight years of GST, the government has implemented comprehensive tax reforms in the form of GST 2.0, which has provided significant relief to the general public.

GST on food items has been reduced to zero, the tax on clothing has been reduced from 12 percent to 5 percent, and the GST on cement has been reduced from 28 percent to 18 percent, resulting in savings of approximately ₹1.5 lakh for building a 1,000 square foot home. Furthermore, GST on consumer goods such as motorcycles, cars, refrigerators, TVs, and ACs has also been reduced from 28 percent to 18 percent.

This has enabled savings of ₹8,000-12,000 on motorcycles, ₹60,000-100,000 on small cars, and ₹3,000-25,000 on TVs and ACs. Minister Shri Choudhary stated that the tax on daily use items such as toothpaste, soap, bicycles, cooking gas, detergents, and utensils has been reduced to 5 percent, resulting in annual savings of ₹25,000-40,000 for a middle-class family. Keeping in mind the agriculturally dominant state of Chhattisgarh, farmers have also been provided relief.

Approximately ₹1.20 lakh has been provided on tractors and approximately ₹1.90 lakh on harvesters, while the GST on agricultural equipment, fertilizers, and seeds has been reduced from 18 percent to 5 percent. Minister Shri Choudhary stated that the objective of GST 2.0 is not only to simplify the tax system, but also to reduce public expenditure, empower farmers and artisans, and accelerate Chhattisgarh’s economic development.

*Major reforms in the Registration Department, registry process simplified and transparent: Finance Minister OP Choudhary

*Responding to a discussion in the Chhattisgarh Assembly on the demands of the Registration and Stamps Department, Finance and Registration Minister OP Choudhary stated that the Registration Department is the third largest revenue-generating department in the state.

He stated that for a long time, the department was hampered by complex procedures, outdated systems, and technological backwardness, forcing ordinary citizens to visit multiple offices for registration, leading to the increased role of middlemen. In many locations, registry offices lacked even proper seating arrangements for citizens.

He stated that for citizen convenience, the number of registry offices has been increased in districts like Raipur, Durg, and Bilaspur. Additionally, 10 smart registry offices, modeled after visa centers, are being established, with offices already operational in Nava Raipur, Tilda, and Raigarh. To provide relief to the general public, the registration fee for family donation deeds, renunciation deeds, and partition deeds has been reduced to just ₹500.

Additionally, the additional registration fee has been waived for transactions above the guideline rate. The Finance Minister stated that the reform process will continue, and the goal is to make Chhattisgarh a model state of good governance through transparency, technology, and public convenience.

Finance Department

Responding to the discussion on the Finance Department’s grant demands in the budget session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, Finance Minister O.P. Choudhary stated that the state government is working with the goal of good governance, financial discipline, and long-term economic stability.

Keeping the state’s long-term development in mind, the “Chhattisgarh Growth and Stability Fund” has been established. An investment of ₹50 crore has currently been made in this fund, and a provision of ₹250 crore has been made for the coming year. He stated that the state’s accumulated redemption fund has exceeded ₹8,875 crore, representing approximately 7 percent of the total outstanding debt. Similarly, ₹1,32 crore has been invested in the Guarantee Redemption Fund to manage the liabilities of loans guaranteed by the state government, and an additional provision of ₹125 crore has been made in the budget.

The Finance Minister stated that the department’s budget primarily provides for the payment of pensions and other retirement benefits to government employees. This includes pension, family pension, pension commutation, gratuity, leave encashment, and employer contributions to the National Pension System (NPS).

The Finance Minister stated that to better manage future pension obligations, the state government has established a pension fund by enacting the Chhattisgarh Pension Fund Act 2025. Currently, ₹1,121 crore is invested in this fund, and a provision of ₹500 crore has been made for the coming year.

Finally, the Finance Minister stated that the state government is committed to the development of every sector with a positive outlook and, under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, is working with the resolve to make Chhattisgarh a developed state.