Roka-cheka campaign and meeting will be organized at the village level
Along with the control of animals grazing in the open, arrangements will be made for the management and protection of cattle.
Agriculture Department issued instructions to all collectors and chief executive officers of district panchayats
Raipur, 07 July 2023
Roka-Cheka campaign is being started this year also to control the animals grazing in the open and to protect the kharif crops from them. Roka-Cheka is an old tradition of Chhattisgarh. On the initiative of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, it has been started in the state as a campaign, which has yielded very encouraging results. Keeping this in mind, this campaign is being run again in the state during the current year. In this regard, the Department of Agriculture from Nava Raipur-based Mantralaya has today issued guidelines to all the Collectors and Chief Executive Officers of District Panchayats to conduct Roka-Chheka campaign in the villages till July 17 according to the local conditions.
It is noteworthy that in the state of Chhattisgarh, ‘Roka Chheka’ practice is prevalent for the control of animals grazing in the open before sowing of Kharif crop, in which to promote crop sowing and to protect the crop from loss due to grazing of animals. Arrangements for pahtiya (shepherd) etc. are done by the cattle rearers and the villagers to keep the animals tied. With this effort, not only farmers are able to do sowing work quickly, but they are also motivated to take another crop.
In the instructions issued by the Agriculture Department, it has been said that like last year, arrangements should be made according to the practice of Roka-Cheka. For this, a meeting should be organized at the village level till July 17 by running a Roka-Cheka campaign according to the local situation. Along with this, pastures should be established in all the constructed Gauthans before 30th July. Where fodder is produced. Instructions have also been given to ensure the participation of villagers for these works by spreading local publicity.
Officers have been asked to organize meetings at the village level under the Roka-Chheka campaign, in which the decision to save crops from animals will be taken by the village sarpanch, panch, public representatives and villagers as per the practice of ‘Roka Chheka’. In order to save the crops from grazing, instructions have also been given to bring animals to Gothans regularly, to organize Munadi in every Gothan village and to organize veterinary and health camps in Gothans.
In the issued instructions, it has also been asked to organize a meeting of the Gothan Management Committee for proper arrangements for the management and maintenance of animals in Gothans under ‘Roka Chheka’ practice. Instructions have been given to ensure the active participation of the members by amending the committee with the approval of the minister in-charge, in such Gothans which are not being reflected actively. Along with this, it has been asked to ensure the management of animals in the Gothans by the arrangement of Pahtiya, Shepherd.
In the instructions issued by the Agriculture Department, it has been said that during the rainy season, comprehensive arrangements should be made for the safety of animals in the Gothans. In order to remove the problem of water logging due to rain, proper arrangements for water drainage should be made in the Gauthans and the availability of mud etc. free space should be ensured for the animals to sit in the Gauthan premises. Arrangements should be made to protect vermicompost and supercompost produced from cow dung through Godhan Nyaya Yojana from rains and floods. The importance of vermicompost for organic farming should be widely publicised. Farmers should be motivated to use vermicompost produced under Godhan Nyaya Yojana. Adequate fodder, para etc. should be arranged in Gauthan. Farmers should be motivated to start summer paddy crop.
