Chhattisgarh govt committed to achieving sustainable development goals: CM Sai

Raipur, Sep 9 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday said his government was fully committed to achieving sustainable development goals.

He was speaking while unveiling the 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) State and District Progress Report 2024'.

The report prepared by the Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission was unveiled during a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by the CM at Mantralaya in Nava Raipur in the presence of all state ministers.

Based on data from 2023-24, the report evaluates the state and district-level progress towards achieving the SDGs. It notes that Chhattisgarh's composite score has improved from 69 in 2023 to 70 in 2024 - reflecting steady progress on the SDG front, it said.

Sai asserted that the state government was fully committed to achieving the SDGs, and the report confirmed that efforts at both the state and district levels were moving in the right direction, a government release said.

Stressing the government's focus areas, he said that education, health, nutrition, sanitation, energy, and logistics would be given special attention to accelerate progress on the goals.

Finance Minister O P Choudhary said the report was not only important for better policy implementation, but also provides a clear picture of work being carried out at the district level.

It will serve as a guiding framework for policy decisions and planning in the coming years, he added.

Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission and Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain said that assessing SDG performance at the district level serves as a crucial basis for policymaking and effective execution.

He underlined that the Commission is working to provide every district with the necessary support and guidance according to its strengths and challenges.

He expressed confidence that in the coming years, Chhattisgarh will emerge as a model among states at the national level.

Significantly, the report ranks districts on the basis of 82 indicators, classifying them into four categories- Aspirator, Performer, Front Runner and Achiever.

In 2024, 28 districts of the state were placed in the Front Runner category, while five districts were listed as Performers. Dhamtari district retained its place in the Achiever category for the second consecutive year. Twelve districts improved their scores, while 10 maintained their previous performance, it said.

At the state level, 275 indicators under 16 SDGs were evaluated, of which 40 indicators had already achieved their 2030 targets by 2024. This, the report said, will provide new momentum to the state's development journey.

It is estimated that 83 more indicators will meet their targets within the next two to three years. PTI TKP NP