TFP Bureau, Raipur, December 15, 2025: Chhattisgarh’s Housing and Environment Department has recorded significant achievements over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, with focused reforms in affordable housing, urban development, digital governance and environmental protection, Housing and Environment Minister Shri O.P. Choudhary said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at the Chhattisgarh Samvad Auditorium, the Minister said the department’s initiatives have not only improved citizens’ ease of living but also laid a strong foundation for long-term, sustainable and investment-driven growth in the state.
Shri Choudhary said that when the present government assumed office, the Chhattisgarh Housing Board was facing serious financial stress, with over 3,200 residential and commercial properties lying unsold and outstanding dues amounting to ₹735 crore. The state government cleared these liabilities, making the Housing Board completely debt-free. To liquidate long-pending inventory, a one-time settlement scheme, OTS-2, was launched, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent. Within nine months, 1,251 properties were sold, generating revenue of ₹190 crore, which will now be reinvested in new housing projects.
To prevent the accumulation of unsold stock in the future, the Minister said a new demand-based construction policy has been implemented. Under this policy, construction can begin only after achieving either 60 per cent registration or 30 per cent registration within the first three months, ensuring project viability and reducing financial risk.
Shri Choudhary also highlighted reforms aimed at improving citizen convenience. The Housing Board’s online portal has been strengthened, services made time-bound, and an AI-based chatbot introduced to provide round-the-clock information, significantly reducing the need for physical office visits and enhancing transparency.
Detailing the achievements of the Raipur Development Authority (RDA), the Minister said construction of the PM Unity Mall is underway at a cost of ₹193 crore, while tenders have been invited for 168 new flats in Tikrapara. The RDA has fully shifted to an online system for its services since January.
A major highlight, Shri Choudhary said, is the transformation of Nava Raipur Atal Nagar into the country’s first debt-free greenfield city. Through disciplined financial management, loans amounting to ₹1,345 crore have been fully repaid without incurring fresh debt. As a result, land and property assets worth ₹5,030 crore have been freed from mortgage, significantly boosting investor confidence.
Nava Raipur is witnessing accelerated industrial and commercial activity, with a 132-acre textile park under development, expected to attract investments of around ₹2,000 crore and generate over 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. Additionally, proposed investments of ₹1,800 crore in the semiconductor and IT sectors, aligned with emerging 5G and 6G technologies, are expected to create around 10,000 high-skilled jobs and strengthen the state’s digital ecosystem.
The Minister said Nava Raipur is being developed as a technology hub and conference capital, with a focus on MICE tourism. Plans are also underway to position the city as a wedding destination, supported by modern infrastructure and open spaces. An inland marina project worth ₹400 crore is being developed to enhance tourism and urban aesthetics.
Further projects include an Art of Living Centre at a cost of ₹120 crore to promote wellness tourism, a ₹230-crore Science City to foster innovation and scientific learning, and a Medi City aimed at making Nava Raipur a medical hub. A 300-bed hospital is being developed by the Bombay Hospital Trust, while land allocation is underway for institutions like NIFT and NIELIT under the Edu City project, positioning Nava Raipur as a knowledge centre.
On regulatory reforms, Shri Choudhary said the Affordable Public Housing Rules, 2025 have been implemented for the first time in the state, simplifying procedures and allowing affordable housing even on agricultural land. Amendments to land development rules have reduced mandatory open space requirements and eased industrial norms, improving land utilisation and encouraging investment.
In the environmental sector, the Chhattisgarh Environment Protection Board has introduced real-time online monitoring of industrial emissions, automated alerts and notices, and developed a common hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility. The facility, with a landfill capacity of 60,000 metric tonnes per year, is set to become fully operational from April 2025.
Summing up, Shri Choudhary said the reforms reflect financial discipline, citizen-centric governance and a balanced approach to development and environmental protection. “Nava Raipur Atal Nagar stands today as a living example of a debt-free, investment-friendly and future-ready city,” he said, adding that the department’s initiatives are playing a crucial role in realising the vision of a developed Chhattisgarh.
Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Housing Board Shri Anurag Singh Deo, Chairman of the Raipur Development Authority Shri Nand Kumar Sahu, MLA Smt. Raymuni Bhagat, Housing and Environment Department Secretary Shri Ankit Anand and senior officials were present at the press conference.
