Boosts local employment opportunities for rural women in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, 08 June 2023
The idea of revolutionizing lives through the utilization of cow dung may have rarely occurred to anyone before. However, in a remarkable move, the Chhattisgarh Government has introduced a first of its kind scheme called the Godhan NYAY Yojana which has provided a new means of livelihood for rural women at local level. Under this scheme, women are not only able to fulfill their daily needs but also play a vital role in meeting other family expenses. Consequently, the lives of lakhs of people are being transformed as they generate income by selling cow dung and vegetables.
The state government has established a Gauthan in village Ganiyari, located in the Tilda Development Block of the district. Sprawled over an area of about 6 acres, the Gauthan have tanks for vermicompost production and a vegetable garden. The women of the Dhanlaxmi Women Self-Help Group are actively engaged in the operations of the Gauthan and vegetable garden, with a total of 12 women working in the group. Currently, the Gauthan focuses on vermicompost production, and the group has already produced 450 bags of high-quality vermicompost.
The president of the group, Maheshwari Ghatiyara, praised Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel for his initiative, stating that they no longer need to struggle to find employment. Economic activities including vermicompost production provide a substantial source of income for their group, similar to other self-help groups associated with Gauthan. The women of the group have discovered a new means of earning income through the Gauthan, and they wholeheartedly expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister for implementing this life-changing scheme.
