Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday emphasized on developing gauthans built in villages under Garwa, a major component of the Suraji village scheme of the Chhattisgarh government, as self-employment and livelihood centers of the villages.

The rural economy should be improved by conducting various activities related to self-employment in gauthans, he said and added that arrangements for marketing of products manufactured and produced by women self-help groups should be ensured.

The Chief Minister said that along with planting saplings on a large scale in gauthans, ponds should also be constructed in the lower parts of gauthans.

Fisheries, poultry and goat rearing activities should also be started in the areas of gauthan, the CM said.

He also talked about linking it with income-oriented activities for better operations of gauthans.

State agriculture minister  Ravindra Chaubey, chief secretary  RP Mandal, additional chief secretary to the chief minister Subrat Sahu,  agricultural production commissioner Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, deputy secretary to the chief minister  Saumya Chaurasia and senior officials were also present.

Chief Minister Baghel instructed officials to compulsorily engage the officers of the veterinary  department on duty to provide animal care, health protection and breed improvement programme in gauthan in a better way.

He also instructed official to create the necessary infrastructure for the treatment of cattle and other facilities for doctors in gauthans.

The chief minister said that vermin-compost, soap, detergent, incense agarbatti, cement poles, vegetable among others products produced by the women groups in gauthan should be supplied to the government departments, especially to forest, education, tribal welfare departments as per their requirements.

Besides issuing the necessary instructions to chief secretary, instructions were also given to Chhattisgarh dairy federation to supply the devbhog products in the government departments as per the requirements.

At the meeting, agriculture minister  Ravindra Choubey while giving detailed information about the current status of gauthans and the activities conducted there, said income-generating activities are being conducted successfully by the women self-help groups of the village.

Rabi acreage has increased by about 12,000  hectares in the gauthan        villages, he said.