To mainstream surrendered Naxalites and encourage their rehabilitation, the Chhattisgarh government has approved the formation of district-level committees to review and withdraw criminal cases registered against them. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held at the Civil Lines office under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai.

The Council of Ministers has cleared the complete process for resolution and withdrawal of cases against surrendered Naxalites. Along with this, a cabinet sub-committee will also be constituted to examine such cases. After scrutiny, the sub-committee will place its recommendations before the Council of Ministers for final approval.

This decision follows the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Naxalite Surrender/Victim Relief Rehabilitation Policy–2025 issued by the Chhattisgarh Government. Under this policy, cases against surrendered Naxalites can be considered for withdrawal on the basis of good conduct and their contribution towards ending Naxalism.

District-level review system
A separate committee will be formed in every district to identify eligible cases for withdrawal. These committees will submit a detailed report to the police headquarters, which will forward its recommendations to the state government. The approved cases will then be placed before the cabinet sub-committee.

For matters related to central laws or involving the central government, prior approval will be taken from the Government of India. Other cases will be sent to the District Magistrate for legal withdrawal through the Public Prosecutor.

Major reform in Public Trust laws
The cabinet also approved the draft Chhattisgarh Public Trust (Amendment of Provisions) (Second) Bill, 2025. This bill aims to amend 14 state laws to make them more citizen-friendly and time-bound.

At present, many laws provide for fines or imprisonment even for minor violations, which leads to unnecessary court cases and delays. Under the new amendment, minor offences will attract administrative penalties instead of judicial action. This is expected to reduce the burden on courts and ensure quicker relief to citizens and businesses.

The bill will also revise outdated penalty amounts that had remained unchanged for years. With this move, Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to introduce the second version of the Public Trust Bill.

Supplementary budget approval
The cabinet also approved the Chhattisgarh Appropriation Bill, 2025, paving the way for the presentation of the first supplementary budget estimates for the financial year 2025–26 in the state assembly.