Raipur, April 21, 2026: Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister for Urban Administration and Development Arun Sao today directed the Chief Municipal Officers (CMOs) of the urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats) to strictly curb unregulated construction, illegal plotting, and encroachments.
Additionally, he issued instructions to streamline the operations and administrative systems of the municipalities.
The review of urban local bodies across the state continued for a second consecutive day today. Deputy Chief Minister Sao reviewed the functioning of all municipalies during a day-long meeting held today at the Circuit House in Civil Lines, Raipur.
During the meeting, he directed the Chief Municipal Officers of the municipalies to strictly put a stop to unregulated construction, illegal plotting, and encroachments. He called for greater efficiency and discipline in the operations and administrative arrangements of the municipalies.
Sao emphasized that negligence or laxity in work would not be tolerated; accountability would be fixed, and strict action would be taken against those concerned.
He urged all CMOs to work towards the welfare of cities and their residents by adopting a fresh mindset and innovative working methods. He issued directives to make the state’s emerging cities well-organized, well-planned, clean, and beautiful, while simultaneously developing adequate public amenities for the citizens.
Sao instructed the departmental Regional Joint Directors across all five divisions to conduct personal inspections of every Municipality and Nagar Panchayat once every quarter and to submit a comprehensive report to the Director.
Secretary of the Department of Urban Administration and Development Dr. Basavaraju S.; Director R. Ekka and CEO of the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) Shashank Pandey were also present at the review meeting.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed all CMOs to complete the process of levying taxes on newly acquired properties within the municipalies by May 31. To boost revenue collection, he instructed them to undertake the recovery of taxes—such as property tax, water tax, and user charges—with seriousness and strictness.
Furthermore, he issued directives to identify non-essential electricity connections through energy audits and to initiate the necessary proceedings for their disconnection. He also instructed all personnel of the civic body to ensure the timely payment of salaries and electricity bills every month.
While issuing directives to make special efforts toward water conservation, Sao called for the construction of rainwater harvesting structures in 100 per cent of the buildings. He instructed that the cleaning of major drains, sewers, and drainage systems be completed by May 31, alongside the implementation of necessary measures to prevent waterlogging during the rainy season.
He directed all Chief Municipal Officers (CMOs) to reside at the headquarters and to conduct daily morning inspections to monitor the city’s sanitation and ongoing development works. He also asked them to include local public representatives during these inspections.
Expressing strong displeasure over the laxity shown by CMOs regarding morning inspections, Sao issued strict orders to conduct mandatory daily inspections of all works.
Emphasizing the provision of better amenities for citizens in urban areas, Sao directed the identification of suitable sites for children’s playgrounds and public parks. He issued instructions to ensure the completion of the ‘Nalanda Complexes’ currently under construction in Kunkuri and Ambagarh Chowki by December of this year.
He called for a forward-looking approach regarding the drinking water supply system, directing that adequate arrangements be secured to meet the city’s needs for the next ten years. Prioritizing drinking water supply, he instructed that robust arrangements for this purpose be established utilizing funds allocated under the 15th Finance Commission.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed that all major drains, sewers, drainage channels, and ponds be cleaned before the onset of the monsoon season. He further instructed that pipeline leaks be repaired to ensure the supply of clean and safe drinking water to every household.
Sao directed that the construction of houses sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) 2.0 be completed within one year. He stated that it is the responsibility of the CMOs to facilitate the sanctioning and construction of PM Awas houses for the needy residents of the city. Urging them to work with diligence and seriousness on this matter, he directed that building construction permits be issued within one week of the housing sanction being granted.
He also instructed that, following the sanction of a house, beneficiaries be invited to receive information regarding all rules and procedures related to the scheme, including details concerning the ‘Chief Minister Grih Pravesh Samman’ (Home Entry Honour).
During the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister also issued directives to ensure that preparations are in place to benefit city residents in accordance with government guidelines, under the ‘Sushasan Tihar’ (Good Governance Festival) scheduled to commence across the state on May 1st.
Additional Director of the Department of Urban Administration and Development Pulak Bhattacharya; Chief Engineer Rajesh Sharma; and engineers from the municipalities were also present at the review meeting.
