Raipur, 26 June 2021. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has directed the officers to work out an action plan to ensure availability of green fodder for the animals in the Gauthans set up in villages under the Suraji Gaon Yojana. He said that Napier grass should be planted compulsorily on the land reserved for pasture in Gauthans. Similarly, the forest department should do the work of planting grass in the forests on top priority and also ensure that green fodder from the forests reaches the Gauthans. The Chief Minister also gave instructions to build sheds and make water arrangements for cattle, along with fodder in Gauthans.
Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel in a meeting of senior officers held at his residence office here today reviewed Godhan Nyay Yojana, Suraji Gaon Yojana, Plantation Promotion Scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, Minor Forest Produce, Plantation of Fruits and Medicinal Plants, Processing, Marketing and Roadside plantation. The Chief Minister said that it should be ensured that on July 1, Roka Cheka is organized in the villages, the Gauthan committees which are not active, they should be reconstituted, arrangements should be made for the training of Gauthan committees at the block level and the Gauthan which are incomplete, should be completed on priority.
Agriculture Minister Shri Ravindra Choubey, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shri Mohammad Akbar, Parliamentary Secretary Shri Shishupal Shori, Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary Shri Subrata Sahoo, Principal Secretary Forest Shri Manoj Kumar Pingua, Agriculture Production Commissioner Dr. M. Geeta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shri Rakesh Chaturvedi, Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Siddharth Komal Singh Pardeshi, Special Secretary Agriculture Dr. S. Bharathidasan, Director Agriculture Shri Yashwant Kumar, Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Dr. K. Patil were present in the meeting.
Chief Minister said that all arrangements for production of green fodder in Gauthans, transportation of green fodder from forests to Gauthans and harvesting of fodder should be ensured. With the availability of green fodder, cattle will go to the Gauthans, milk production will also increase due to the availability of fodder. He said that arrangements should be made for Napier grass seeds, irrigation and plantation through MGNREGA. It should also be taken care that the income of those working in pasture should not be less than that of other self-help groups working in Bari or Gauthan. It was informed in the meeting that about 6 lakh quintals of vermi compost and 2 lakh quintals of super compost have been produced by self-help groups in Gauthans. Out of this, 3 lakh 56 thousand quintal vermi compost and 32 thousand 656 quintal super compost have been sold. Approval of 10 thousand 57 Gauthans has been given in the state, out of which 5 thousand 820 Gauthans are active. Shri Baghel said that every effort should be made to make Gauthans self-reliant. Keep an account of the cow dung to be purchased under Godhan Nyay Yojana, vermi compost and super compost being made from it and the amount received from it’s sale.
Chief Minister said that to encourage organic farming of fragrant paddy, mini rice mills should be given on grant to the groups producing them and they should be given training in packing. For marketing of fragrant paddy, agreements should be made with companies through district collectors. He directed the Agriculture Department to make arrangements for certification of different varieties of fragrant paddy and to deliver the certificates to the farmers at their doorsteps. This will give a good price to the farmers for their produce. Shri Baghel said that farmers should be encouraged to plant other crops instead of paddy under the Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojana. Promote maize cultivation. He directed to complete the maize processing plant set up at Kondagaon within the time-limit.
Chief Minister also reviewed the status of distribution of fertilizers and seeds in the meeting. It was informed in the meeting that only 33 percent DAP and urea fertilizers have been provided by the Center in proportion to the requirement of Chhattisgarh.The Chief Minister said that vermi compost should be promoted. Agriculture Minister Shri Ravindra Choubey informed that continuous action is being taken by the Agriculture Department to stop the hoarding of chemical fertilizers. He said that farmers are taking good amount of vermi compost and super compost. During the review of Chief Minister Tree Plantation Promotion Scheme, Mr. Baghel said that four to five species of fruit trees should be promoted in every development block. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, arrangements are being made to supply tap water to the homes of rural areas. Encourage people to plant trees in the Bari of every house, so that the dirty water of the house can be used for irrigation of plants, while the income of the people will also increase from fruits. For this, the Horticulture, Forest, Panchayat and Rural Development and Public Health Engineering departments should prepare an action plan in coordination. He said that under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, a unified website should be made for registration of farmers growing other crops instead of paddy and planted trees, which would facilitate monitoring of the progress of the scheme.
Chief Minister said that fisheries and lac production have been given the status of agriculture in Chhattisgarh. The officials should ensure that the farmers engaged in fisheries and production of lac are provided loan at zero percent interest like other farmers, their Kisan Credit Card should be made and electricity up to 7500 units should be provided free of cost to the fish farmers. He said that lac gets a very good price in the international market. Forest rights recognition cerificate holder farmers should be encouraged to produce lac. It was informed in the meeting that loans up to Rs 3 lakh are being made available to fish producing farmers at zero percent interest. He said that arrangements should be ensured to conduct internship of the students of the College of Agriculture, Horticulture and Fisheries with the farmers in the villages. He said that ponds should be made under MGNREGA on the farms of farmers and the lands of people with forest rights recognition certificates, so that availability of water for irrigation can be ensured and they can do fish farming. It was informed in the meeting that preparations have been made for the purchase of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi at the support price.
A contract has been signed with IIMR Hyderabad for technical support in production and value addition of Kodo and Kutki. In Kanker district, land has been identified for central storage and processing of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi. It was informed in the meeting that in the last two years, 6 lakh 88 thousand 950 saplings have been planted in 309 roads covering a length of 1610.23 km. In 119 roads of Ram Van Gaman Path, 1 lakh 70 thousand 190 saplings have been planted covering a length of 575.96 km. Similarly, more than 20 lakh 50 thousand saplings have been planted on the banks of 56 rivers in an area of 1832.40 hectares and 45.75 kms in length.
