Bhopal, Sep 29 (IANS): In a landmark decision aligned with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s vision of youth empowerment, the Madhya Pradesh Council of Ministers has approved a 20 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the state’s uniformed services.

Under the new policy, recruitment for Constable (General Duty) posts in the Home Department will reserve 10 per cent for Home Guards, 5 per cent for veterans, and 20 percent for Agniveers.

Horizontal reservation has also been approved across other departments:

Special Armed Force (Home Department): 10 per cent for Home Guards, 5 per cent for ex-servicemen, and 20 per cent for Agniveers.

Jail Guard posts (Jail Department): 15 per cent for Home Guards, 5 per cent for ex-servicemen, and 20 per cent for Agniveers.

Forest Guard posts (Forest Department): 15 per cent for Home Guards, 5 per cent for ex-servicemen, and 20 per cent for Agniveers.

Excise Constable posts (Commercial Tax Department): 10 per cent for Home Guards, 5 per cent for ex-servicemen, and 20 per cent for Agniveers.

The Cabinet also approved the distribution of food grains at Re 1 per kilogram to residents of hostels, ashrams and community welfare centres run by the Department for the Welfare of Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes. This mirrors the existing arrangement for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe hostels and ashrams.

Approval was granted for Rs 2.41 crore for the Directorate of Handlooms, including creating 12 new posts for district handloom offices in Mauganj, Chhindwara, Maihar and Tikamgarh.

A major allocation of Rs 358.22 crore was cleared for the continued operation of Ujjain’s Kanh Diversion Closed Duct Project from 2026–27 to 2030–31.

The project aims to prevent polluted water from the Kanh River from entering the holy Shipra River by diverting it through a 30.15-kilometre underground tunnel and covered canal to the Gambhir River.

It is being implemented ahead of the Simhastha Mahaparv scheduled in Ujjain in 2028.

The Council also fixed transportation fees for mineral produce at Rs 81 per tonne for first-category minerals (including limestone, dolomite, manganese ore, iron ore and others) and Rs 52 per tonne for second-category minerals (flagstone, granite, marble and soil/stone).

Additionally, it approved a payment of Rs 691.01 crore, exceeding the Government of India’s maximum expenditure limit, towards outstanding liabilities for court building construction under the Centrally sponsored scheme, using available state plan funds.

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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.