Raipur, 10 December 2021. A life-size statue of Martyr Veer Narayan Singh will be installed at Jaistambh Chowk in the capital Raipur. Martyr Veer Narayan Singh was hanged by the then British government on 10th December 1857 at Jaistambh Chowk itself. Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel made an announcement to this effect while addressing a public meeting organized after paying homage to Veer Narayan Singh on his martyrdom day at Sonakhan (District Balodabazar). Mr. Baghel has also announced to make Sonakhan a tehsil. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also unveiled a life-size statue of Martyr Veer Narayan Singh riding a horse in the Martyrs Memorial Complex. He also gifted various development works worth Rs 28 crore 60 lakh here. Of these, a bridge built on the Jonk river on Bangalapali to Maharaja road worth Rs. 9 crore 60 lakh and the Eklavya hostel at a cost of Rs. 16 crore and the first of the construction of stairs in Kurupath at a cost of Rs. 2 crore 67 lakh in Kurupath. Includes groundbreaking work. The program was presided over by the Minister of Tribal and Scheduled Castes Development, Dr. Premsai Singh Tekam, and Industries Minister Mr. Kawasi Lakhma, Parliamentary Secretary and local MLA Mr. Chandradev Rai, Ms. Shakuntala Sahu, Chairman of CG Textbook Corporation Mr. Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, as special guest. President of Krishak Kalyan Parishad Shri Surendra Sharma, District Panchayat President Shri Rakesh Verma and District President Shri Hitendra Thakur were present.
Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel honored the families of martyr Veer Narayan Singh by presenting them shawls and shriphal on the main stage. He also provided the enhanced monthly pension sanction order letters to the descendants of the martyr by the state government. According to the order, now their descendants will get a pension of 10 thousand rupees per month. Earlier the monthly pension was only one thousand rupees. Chief Minister Shri Baghel visited five villages of Sonakhan area- Kukrikona, Uprani, Achanakpur, Also distributed community forest resource rights letters to the gram sabhas of Patiyapali and Gitpuri. The Chief Minister also honored the meritorious students of Sonakhan College. While addressing the Chief Guest on the occasion, Chief Minister Shri Baghel said that Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh had blown the bugle of rebellion against the British Government in Chhattisgarh. We feel proud to remember him on his martyrdom day. He said that following the ideals of Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, our government is engaged in the welfare of villages, poor and farmers. We will not lag behind in the works of economic and social development of farmers. All round development of farmers is our top priority. Despite the adverse circumstances and hurdles, we are purchasing the produce of the farmers as per the announcement. Day by day we are buying more quantity of paddy from the farmers. This year a target of purchasing 1 crore 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been set. It is involved in the welfare of the poor and farmers. We will not lag behind in the works of economic and social development of farmers. All round development of farmers is our top priority. Despite the adverse circumstances and hurdles, we are purchasing the produce of the farmers as per the announcement. Day by day we are buying more quantity of paddy from the farmers. This year a target of purchasing 1 crore 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been set. It is involved in the welfare of the poor and farmers. We will not lag behind in the works of economic and social development of farmers. All round development of farmers is our top priority. Despite the adverse circumstances and hurdles, we are purchasing the produce of the farmers as per the announcement. Day by day we are buying more quantity of paddy from the farmers. This year a target of purchasing 1 crore 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been set. It is involved in the welfare of the poor and farmers. We will not lag behind in the works of economic and social development of farmers. All round development of farmers is our top priority. Despite the adverse circumstances and hurdles, we are purchasing the produce of the farmers as per the announcement. Day by day we are buying more quantity of paddy from the farmers. This year a target of purchasing 1 crore 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been set. It is involved in the welfare of the poor and farmers. We will not lag behind in the works of economic and social development of farmers. All round development of farmers is our top priority. Despite the adverse circumstances and hurdles, we are purchasing the produce of the farmers as per the announcement. Day by day we are buying more quantity of paddy from the farmers. This year a target of purchasing 1 crore 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been set.
Chief Minister Shri Baghel said that our government has waived irrigation tax of about Rs 400 crore pending farmers. The purchase price of tendu leaves has been increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 4 thousand per standard sack. Earlier only 7 types of minor forest produce were procured, By increasing this, we are procuring 52 types of forest produce. Their remunerative support price has also been declared by the state government. Chhattisgarh is the first state in the whole country which has declared support price for crops like Kodo-Kutki and Ragi. At this rate we are also doing government procurement. We have also freed them from worry by distributing Forest Officer Patta to the people occupied on forest land for years. Patta of forest land has been distributed to about 4.5 lakh people in the state. Chhattisgarh is also the first state in this case that it has also made cow dung a source of income for farmers and villagers. We are giving chaur for one rupee and are buying cow dung from people for 2 rupees. There is no such system anywhere else in the country.
Mr. Baghel said that farmers will not face any problem in buying paddy. We have increased the price of gunny bags from Rs 18 to Rs 25. In the last ten days, 13 lakh 85 thousand metric tonnes of paddy has been procured. The Chief Minister requested the farmers to paradan for providing fodder to the cattle in Gauthan. He said that Para is available in large quantity in the fields. The Chief Minister said that the vermi compost made by women’s groups in Gauthans is a quality compost. It is a good alternative to DAP manure. In the past months, when there was a shortage of DAP, vermi compost has come in handy as an alternative to this manure. This has increased the production of our produce. The Chief Minister said that Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh had also taken the initiative to remove inequality in the society. Our government is running on this ideal of his. Gauthan is not just a place for cows to stay, Rather, it is being developed as Rural Industrial Park. He said that in the last three years, we have announced many holidays, respecting the culture and traditions of Chhattisgarh. This episode will also be a holiday from this year on the festival of Chherchera.
Presiding over the program, Minister for Tribal and Scheduled Castes Development Shri Premsai Singh also addressed. He said that for the convenience of the farmers, we have increased the number of cooperative societies from 1300 to 2056 so that the farmers do not have to go far for the seeds and fertilizers. Procurement centers should also be increased for buying paddy on support price. At present, paddy is being procured through 2399 centres. He said that farmers are being given input subsidy under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. Industries Minister Shri Kawasi Lakhma said that the present government is the government of tribals and poor. He said that our government will also help rural landless laborers with Rs 6,000 every year. Parliamentary Secretary and local MLA Shri Chandradev Rai also addressed. Mentioning the major problems and demands of the area, he submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister for their solution. District Collector Shri Sunil Kumar Jain delivered the welcome address. SSP Shri Deepak Kumar Jha along with a large number of officers, public representatives and people of tribal society were present.
