Major Decisions Taken in Mohan Cabinet Meeting: Pachmarhi Excluded from Sanctuary, ₹215 Crore Approved for Irrigation Projects

Bhopal: A meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, was held at the Ministry on Tuesday. The Council of Ministers approved the modification of the 395.931-hectare area under the control of SADA in Pachmarhi town, excluding 395.939 hectares from the Pachmarhi Sanctuary area and declaring it as revenue land.

The Council of Ministers granted administrative approval of a total of ₹390 crore for the development of the buffer zones of the state’s 9 tiger reserves for the next 5 years, from the financial year 2026-27 to 2030-31. Under this new scheme, development work in the buffer zones will include chain-link fencing in sensitive areas, wildlife protection, pasture development, development of water sources, fire safety, wildlife treatment and health check-ups, and skill upgradation.

The Council of Ministers approved ₹215.47 crore for two irrigation projects in Narmadapuram. According to the approval, the Bagra Branch Canal Irrigation Project of the Tawa Project (Right Bank Canal) has been granted administrative approval at a cost of ₹86.76 crore, with a proposed irrigation area of ​​4200 hectares. The project will benefit 33 villages in Babai and Sohagpur tehsils of Narmadapuram district.

Administrative approval has also been granted for the Pipariya Branch Canal Irrigation Project from the right bank canal of the Tawa Project in Narmadapuram district, at a cost of ₹128.71 crore, with a proposed irrigation area of ​​6000 hectares. The project will benefit 30 villages in Sohagpur tehsil of Narmadapuram district. The Council of Ministers approved an expenditure of ₹17,864.26 crore for the continuation of 17 schemes of the Tribal Affairs Department, Food and Civil Supplies Department, and Revenue Department for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31. According to the approval, ₹377.26 crore was sanctioned for 15 schemes of the Tribal Affairs Department, including fee reimbursement, pre-examination training, Scout and Guide activities, transportation, health services, and various awards.

Similarly, ₹15,000 crore was sanctioned for the Chief Minister’s Farmer Crop Procurement Assistance scheme under the Food and Civil Supplies Department, and ₹2,487 crore was sanctioned for the construction of office and residential buildings for Tehsil, District, and Divisional offices under the Revenue Department. The Council of Ministers also approved a revised scheme, “Overseas Employment Scheme for Other Backward Classes Youth 2025,” replacing the “Scheme for Providing Overseas Employment to Unemployed Youth and Women of Backward Classes 2022.” According to the approval, ₹45 crore will be spent over the next three years, and 600 youth from backward classes will be sent abroad for employment each year.