Jobs, Digital Services and Future Skills: Sai Government Pushes Three Tracks Together in Nava Raipur

Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai addresses the programme at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhavan in Raipur on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, where initiatives concerning employment, digital governance and skill development were taken forward. Photo: primelookindia.com via CMO

Young engineers receive appointment letters as Chhattisgarh links Seva Setu with Common Service Centres and sets aside 10 acres for a ₹250-crore National Skill Training Institute

Key Highlights

• CM Vishnu Dev Sai hands appointment letters to newly selected NRDA sub-engineers
• CHiPS–CSC agreement aims to bring more citizen services within easier reach
• Seva Setu currently covers 907 services of 38 departments through 16,619 centres
• State plans to connect more than 1,000 services through an integrated digital ecosystem
• 10 acres allotted in Nava Raipur for a National Skill Training Institute
• Proposed ₹250-crore institute expected to train around 4,000 young people annually
• OP Choudhary asks new engineers to carry the transparency of their recruitment into public service

Raipur: A government appointment letter, a digital-services agreement and land for a new national-level skill institute may appear to belong to three separate policy files. In Nava Raipur on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 the Chhattisgarh government brought them together around one larger question — how to connect young people with work while making government services easier for citizens to reach.

Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai handed appointment letters to newly selected sub-engineers of the Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority (NRDA), witnessed an MoU between the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) and Common Service Centre (CSC), and oversaw the handing over of a 10-acre land-allotment letter for the proposed National Skill Training Institute. Pasted text

The three initiatives give Wednesday’s programme a wider significance: one provides young professionals an entry into public service, another seeks to take government services closer to people’s homes, and the third looks towards skills required by tomorrow’s employment market.

Sai: Employment cannot stop at government jobs

Sai placed employment and skills within a broader economic framework, making it clear that government recruitment alone cannot absorb the aspirations of every young person.

“Employment possibilities for all young people cannot remain confined to government jobs. The state government is also creating wider opportunities through industry, the private sector, entrepreneurship, start-ups and skill development,” Sai said, while noting that regular recruitment in government departments is continuing. Pasted text

The Chief Minister said the state’s approach is to connect employment generation, skill development, digital governance and modern infrastructure rather than treating them as isolated sectors. He described employment opportunities for youth, simple and transparent public services and future-oriented skills as priorities of his government. Pasted text

Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai presents appointment letters to newly selected sub-engineers of the Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Development Authority (NRDA) during a programme at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhavan in Raipur on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Housing and Environment Minister O.P. Choudhary and senior officials were present on the occasion. Photo: primelookindia.com via CMO

For the young engineers receiving their appointment letters, Sai also had a direct message about what should follow selection.

“Use your knowledge and technical competence in the public interest and discharge your responsibilities with complete dedication, honesty and commitment. Quality, timeliness and public interest must receive the highest priority in construction works,” he told them. Pasted text

Sai described Nava Raipur as a city representing the aspirations of Chhattisgarh’s future and said the newly appointed engineers would have an opportunity to contribute directly to its planned growth and modern infrastructure.

₹8.23 lakh crore investment proposals enter the employment conversation

The Chief Minister also linked the employment push with Chhattisgarh’s Industrial Policy 2024–30.

According to Sai, investment proposals worth more than ₹8.23 lakh crore have been covered by MoUs so far, with work beginning on several projects. The government is targeting employment opportunities for roughly 1.75 lakh young people over the coming years, while the industrial policy provides incentives for industries generating jobs for local people. Pasted text

That makes the employment argument broader than recruitment advertisements alone: government jobs form one stream, while industrial investment, private employment, entrepreneurship and skills are being positioned as parallel routes.

One citizen, fewer digital doors

The second major development of the day concerned something citizens encounter more routinely — obtaining government services.

In Sai’s presence, CHiPS CEO Mayank Agrawal and CSC Special Purpose Vehicle State Head Jai Narayan Patel signed an MoU intended to connect services available through Seva Setu with the CSC digital network and, in turn, integrate CSC services with Seva Setu. Pasted text

The practical objective is straightforward: citizens should have less need to navigate different platforms for different services.

Seva Setu currently provides 907 online services belonging to 38 departments through 16,619 centres. Since April 1, 2025, more than 54.23 lakh applications have been received through the portal, with more than 90 per cent disposed of, according to the government. Chhattisgarh also has 28,450 active CSCs providing more than 600 government and commercial services. Pasted text

The agreement therefore potentially expands the physical reach of Seva Setu’s services considerably, particularly for people living in rural and remote areas.

‘Citizen should not have to chase the system’

Sai framed digital governance not simply as putting forms online, but as changing the relationship between an applicant and a government office.

“The purpose of taking government services online is to save citizens from unnecessary rounds of offices, make service delivery time-bound and increase transparency and accountability throughout the process,” the Chief Minister said. Pasted text

His sharper formulation came while referring to the Chief Minister Helpline 1076:

“Our effort is that a citizen should not have to chase the system with his problem; the system itself should be accountable for providing the solution.” Pasted text

The state is also working to connect 166 Central government services with Seva Setu, which would take the number of services accessible through the integrated digital framework beyond 1,000. Pasted text

₹250-crore skill institute planned for Nava Raipur

The third initiative looks beyond today’s vacancies towards the skills that future jobs may demand.

A land-allotment letter for 10 acres in Nava Raipur was handed over for the proposed National Skill Training Institute. The project is expected to involve an investment of approximately ₹250 crore and provide modern skill training to around 4,000 young people every year. Pasted text

Around 20 trades are proposed, with training programmes intended to reflect changing industrial and employment-market requirements.

Sai underlined the distinction between possessing an academic qualification and being equipped for a changing workplace.

“In an era of changing technology, young people need not only degrees but modern skills suited to the requirements of industry,” he said, adding that the institute could become an important centre for preparing Chhattisgarh’s youth for future employment. Pasted text

Choudhary: Infrastructure is the foundation of economic growth

Housing and Environment Minister O.P. Choudhary, addressing the newly appointed engineers and their parents, placed their appointments in the context of Nava Raipur’s continuing development.

“Infrastructure is the foundation of the economic development of any state, and engineers have an extremely important role in creating quality infrastructure,” Choudhary said. Pasted text

He also cautioned against viewing government service as the only measure of employment opportunity.

“Young people’s attraction towards government jobs is natural, but employment and career opportunities today are not confined to the government sector. The private sector, entrepreneurship, technology and skill-based fields are also creating wide opportunities,” he said. Pasted text

Choudhary’s second message was directed specifically at the responsibilities that begin after an appointment letter is received.

“The transparent system through which you have received an opportunity to serve should be reflected throughout your service in honesty, devotion to duty and giving the highest priority to public interest,” he told the new engineers. Pasted text

For Nava Raipur, Wednesday’s programme consequently brought together three stages of the same development argument — creating opportunities, preparing people for those opportunities, and using technology to make the state work more directly for its citizens.