Raipur, Oct 9 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh cabinet has approved amendments to the Industrial Policy 2019-24, offering a slew of incentives to units, and announced a special package for entrepreneurs from the Scheduled Caste/Tribe category and also startups, an official has said.

These decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting here on Thursday chaired by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.

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Under the amended industrial policy, the cabinet granted clearance to a special incentive package for investment in mega and ultra-mega projects in the steel (sponge-iron and steel) sector, the official said.

Accordingly, investors in such projects will get a maximum of Rs 500-crore incentives (Rs 1,000 crore for Bastar division), he said.

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For availing these incentives, prospective units will have to commence commercial production latest by October 31, 2024, he said.

The cabinet also approved a draft for formation of the Chief Minister Infrastructure Maintenance and Upgrade Authority, the official said.

The authority will provide funds for maintenance and upgrading of infrastructures related to education, health and road traffic, he said.

The new body will also act as an advisor to departments concerned and district administrations, he added.

The CM will be chairman of this authority, while all cabinet ministers, the chief secretary, secretaries of finance and general administration departments will be its members.

The principal secretary/secretary to the CM will be the member secretary of the new body, the official said.

In another decision, the cabinet approved a proposal to rename the forest department by amending the Chhattisgarh Government Work (Allocation) Rule, he said.

It will now be known as the forest and climate change department, the official said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)