Raipur, Apr 17 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Thursday gave its approval to reimburse the examination fees of only those local candidates who actually appear for competitive exams in the state, a move aimed at bringing down the number of non-serious examinees and reducing the burden on the machinery.

The fees will be reimbursed for the exams conducted by the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC), the Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board (CPEB), and Special Junior Staff Selection Board meant for Surguja, Bastar, and Bilaspur districts.

The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai here.

The move is aimed at encouraging only those candidates who are serious about appearing for the exam, and reduce the number of non-serious or ineligible applicants, thereby minimising the financial losses caused to the state exchequer, a government official said.

“Last year, the government did not charge any fees from the candidates who filled the forms for these exams. Because of that, the number of applicants rose considerably, but only a limited number of them actually appeared for the exams. So the arrangements made by the exam machinery considering the number of applicants got wasted,” the official added.

The cabinet approved amendments to the Chhattisgarh Outstanding Tax, Interest, and Penalty Settlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025. Under this, the state government will waive Value Added Tax (VAT) liabilities up to Rs 25,000 for cases pending for over 10 years.

This initiative is expected to benefit over 40,000 traders and reduce more than 62,000 litigation cases, creating a conducive environment for small businesses.

The cabinet also granted its approval for the establishment of a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campus in Nava Raipur.

The project, under the Union Textiles Ministry, is estimated to cost Rs 271.18 crore, comprising Rs 21.18 crore for land acquisition, Rs 200 crore for building construction, and Rs 50 crore for machinery and furniture.

The institute will provide new opportunities for the state’s youth in fashion education, and supply technically skilled human resources to the fashion industry.

To promote sustainable waste management, the cabinet agreed to allot government land at concessional lease rates for the establishment of bio-CNG plants to process bio-waste and agricultural waste in urban local bodies.

The Urban Administration Department and municipal corporations have been authorised to undertake further actions.

The cabinet has granted in-principle approval to Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for setting up a heavy earth-moving equipment manufacturing plant in the state.

The project will be supported by the allocation of 100 acres of land at a token rate. PTI COR NP