Bhopal: After enjoying Jhalmuri at the state BJP headquarters during the assembly election win celebrations on Monday, chief minister Mohan Yadav and cabinet members again called for the Bengali spicy bhel snack on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, minister for MSME Chaitanya Kashyap said, “We all enjoyed Jhalmuri again today. In Madhya Pradesh also, we have the identical sev-parmal which is bhelpuri in Maharashtra. This snack too shows the similarity in our food habits across the country. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spread that word.”
Kashyap also briefed that chief minister Yadav and cabinet ministers thanked the Prime Minister for the maiden assembly election win in West Bengal, Assam where the party won the third time, Puducherry where government has been formed the second time and in Kerala the party won three seats for the first time.
State cabinet headed by chief minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday granted financial approvals totaling Rs 38,555 crore for development works and public welfare. Cabinet approved Rs 2,442.04 crore for the implementation of the ‘Mission for Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in Pulses’ over the next five years (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031). The Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Department has been authorised to issue necessary guidelines for its implementation. MSME minister Chaitanya Kashyap explained that a scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Oct 11, 2025 to increase production and area under pulses cultivation, promote climate-resilient and improved seed varieties, strengthen seed production, distribution and farmer training and develop post-harvest infrastructure such as processing and packaging units. “Our country still imports 60% to 70% lentils. The scheme will boost farmers’ income and reduce dependency on imports by enhancing domestic production,” Kashyap said.
In another decision, cabinet approved Rs 1,295.52 crore for the continuation and implementation of schemes related to Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) and Information Technology (IT). Key sanctions include Rs 244.20 crore for operation of digital governance and IT infrastructure systems, Rs 225.32 crore for the establishment of Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0), including a major cluster over 209.47 acres at Bandikhedi in Bhopal, Rs 300 crore for the IT Investment Promotion Scheme to attract private sector participation and Rs 526 crore for continuation of the State Wide Area Network (SWAN) to enhance digital connectivity from state to the block levels. The Cabinet decided that the e-Daksh training programme will continue to provide IT and e-governance training to government officials and employees.
In an important decision for the Women and Child Development Department, the cabinet approved Rs 2,412 crore for the construction of Anganwadi centres and the implementation of Mission Vatsalya (Integrated Child Protection Scheme). Cabinet approved Rs 1,800 crore for the construction of 1,500 new Anganwadi centres during 2026–2031, Rs 606.68 crore for the implementation of Mission Vatsalya, and Rs 5 crore for the sanitation action plan. Mission Vatsalya aims to provide care, protection, nutrition, education, and rehabilitation for children in need, in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
For the first time in the country, the state cabinet approved formation of a State Traders’ Welfare Board along with district-level committees to strengthen economic activities and ensure the welfare of traders. The Board will address traders’ grievances promptly, serve as a direct communication bridge between traders and the government and promote inclusive economic growth. The Chief minister will be the chairperson of the Board, with representation from key departments such as finance, agriculture, health, energy, tourism and industry. Representatives from major national institutions, including RBI, NABARD, NHAI and FSSAI, as well as leading industry bodies CII, FICCI, DICCI, FIEO and Laghu Udyog Bharati, will also be part of the Board. The Board will meet quarterly, while district-level committees will convene monthly to ensure effective implementation and grievance redressal.
