Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel calls for stricter legal provisions to prevent disruption of essential public services
TFP Bureau, Raipur, October 14, 2026: Chhattisgarh is considering amendments to its Essential Services Maintenance and Prevention of Disruption Act, 1979, to strengthen legal provisions and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential public services.
A high-level committee of senior secretaries reviewed the proposed Chhattisgarh Essential Services Maintenance and Prevention of Disruption (Amendment) Bill, 2026, at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the committee examined the proposed amendments and discussed issues related to their implementation. Sheel stressed the need to make the legal framework more stringent and responsive to contemporary requirements to prevent disruptions in essential services provided to citizens.
Departments asked to expedite legal formalities
The committee reviewed the proposed changes to the existing Act, focusing on public service delivery, administrative control and the maintenance of discipline. Senior secretaries from various departments offered suggestions on clearly defining the scope of essential services relevant to their respective departments and ensuring that the proposed legal provisions and procedures were properly framed.
Sheel directed the concerned departments to expedite the necessary legal and administrative formalities relating to the draft amendment bill.
The meeting was attended by Home and Jail Department Principal Secretary Niharika Barik Singh, Law and Legislative Affairs Department Principal Secretary Manish Kumar Thakur, Finance and Public Relations Department Secretary Rohit Yadav, General Administration Department Secretary Avinash Champawat, School Education Department Secretary Kamalpreet Singh, and Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Biotechnology Department Secretary Siddharth Komal Pardeshi.
