Ensure Foolproof Arrangements for Diwali: CM Dr. Yadav

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that everyone should celebrate Diwali with happiness and enthusiasm, while ensuring that no unlawful or anti-social activities take place. He directed the police and administration to ensure foolproof law and order arrangements for peaceful and safe celebrations. The Chief Minister said that this is a crucial period for both Diwali celebrations and agricultural activities. Keeping the festival and farmers’ requirements in view, the entire administrative machinery must remain on high alert. He cautioned that Collectors would be held responsible if farmers faced any difficulty in obtaining fertilisers or other essential requirements.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav addressed Collectors and Superintendents of Police across the State through a video conference from Samatva Bhawan at the Chief Minister’s Residence on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed all Collectors and SPs to ensure that illegal and banned firecrackers are not used during Diwali. The use of carbide guns and carbide lamps, which are harmful to human health, must also be curbed. He said that small vendors setting up temporary stalls selling fruits, flowers, diyas, wicks, decorative lights and other festive items in major markets during Diwali should be exempted from tehbazari charges. They must not be subjected to unnecessary harassment. The Chief Minister also asked district officials to celebrate Diwali with young children, residents of poor localities, orphanages and old-age homes by visiting them on the festival day.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed district officials to take the strictest possible action against the consumption, manufacture and transportation of illicit liquor in their respective districts. He instructed them to identify locations where spurious and poisonous liquor is manufactured and ensure stringent legal action against those involved. The Chief Minister said that unlawful practices associated with illegal liquor sales, including agency-based distribution, wholesale supply and diary-based arrangements, must be strictly curbed. Vehicles transporting liquor should undergo physical verification. Officials must also ensure that licensed liquor is not sold above the prescribed prices.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed police and Excise Department officials to conduct periodic sampling of liquor. If any substances harmful to human health are detected in the samples, strict action must be taken against the concerned licensees. He said that Collectors, Superintendents of Police and Excise Officers must work together to establish an effective system in their districts to prevent any untoward situation in the future.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that a campaign against drug abuse is being conducted under the guidance of the Central Government to make Madhya Pradesh a drug-free State. It is essential to strictly curb the illegal cultivation of narcotic substances such as cannabis and opium. He directed officials to completely dismantle narcotics networks and shut down laboratories involved in manufacturing narcotic substances. Dedicated combat teams should be constituted and made operational for this purpose. Strict action must be taken against offenders under the PIT-NDPS Act. Police and Narcotics teams should jointly conduct intensive checking operations. The Chief Minister also instructed district-level committees constituted for the anti-drug campaign (ENCORE Committees) to hold regular meetings. Special surveillance should be maintained at schools, colleges, coaching centres, bus stands and railway stations, and the entire network involved in the illegal sale of narcotic substances must be dismantled.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav asked all officials to adopt hostels established for students belonging to tribal and other communities in their respective districts and motivate students to completely refrain from consuming gutkha, tobacco, khaini and other addictive substances. He further directed that de-addiction and rehabilitation centres be established in every district under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. In districts where voluntary organisations are already operating such centres, efforts should be made to secure grants from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Districts without such facilities should submit proposals for establishing new centres. The Chief Minister also directed that districts performing well in the field of de-addiction should be graded on the basis of their work.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed that Govardhan Puja programmes be organised across the State on November 9. A major programme will also be held in Bhopal on the same day. He said that Gau Pujan should be performed at all gaushalas in the districts, along with programmes highlighting the social, economic and cultural significance of cows. Television screens should be installed at gaushalas to enable livestock rearers and farmers to watch the live telecast of the Bhopal programme. The Chief Minister instructed officials to invite livestock rearers from the winning villages under the Vrindavan Gram category of the Gopal Krishna Gram Puraskar Yojana to nearby gaushalas and honour them with shawls, coconuts, turbans and certificates. Six winners of the Gopal Krishna Gram Puraskar Yojana will also be honoured at the State-level programme. He said that Govardhan Puja should also be used as an opportunity to widely publicise the incentives, subsidies and technical assistance provided by the government to livestock rearers and encourage them to increase milk production. Bullock-cart competitions may also be organised as part of the celebrations.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that a campaign is underway in rural areas of the State to provide permanent property registrations free of cost to holders of temporary land titles for plots and houses. He directed all Collectors to visit as many villages as possible on Dhanteras along with local MPs and MLAs to ensure 100% registrations under the Mukhyamantri Registry Yojana (Swamitva Registry). The Chief Minister further instructed that Patwaris and Tehsildars who have made outstanding contributions to completing property registrations should be honoured on January 26. Their performance records should be maintained, and this achievement should also be entered in their service books.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that this is a crucial period for farmers, with agricultural activities underway and demand for fertilisers remaining high. He directed officials to ensure that farmers in every district receive an adequate supply of fertilisers without any difficulty. Collectors will be held responsible if farmers face any shortage or inconvenience. The Chief Minister directed all officials and employees, from Collectors to those in the Agriculture and Marketing Departments, to remain on high alert and ensure timely distribution of fertilisers in accordance with farmers’ requirements. During the meeting, the Agriculture Secretary informed that there was no difficulty in the supply of fertilisers across the State.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav also directed that, once the Anawari (crop assessment) figures become available, surveys be conducted at the earliest in the 12 districts that received normal rainfall this year. Eligible farmers should be provided relief assistance under government schemes without delay.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Shri Ashok Barnwal, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister's Office Shri Neeraj Mandloi, Additional Chief Secretary Home Shri Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary Culture Shri Shiv Shekhar Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner Shri K.C. Gupta, Director General of Police Shri Kailash Makwana, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Sukhbir Singh, Principal Secretary Social Justice Smt. Sonali Vayangankar, ADG Intelligence Shri Anshuman Yadav and other senior officials.