Cowdung sellers will receive their first payment on August 5 under Godhan Nyay Yojana, says Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel
Under Godhan Nyay Yojana, cowdung sellers of the state will receive payment within 15 days. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said in his address to the review meeting of the forest department, held at his residence office, that Godhan Nyay Yojana was started on July 20. Cowdung sellers will receive payment against procurement on the 15th day i.e. August 5. He directed the Chief Secretary to chair a meeting of cooperative, rural and other banks and ensure all arrangements for this work. Cowdung sellers will receive payment against the procurement directly in their bank accounts.
The CM has also given instructions to fix a time table for procurement of cowdung. He further said that the gauthan inspection tour schedule of veterinary doctors and gau-sevaks should also be finalised and displayed on notice board of gauthans. Baghel has entrusted the rural agriculture expansion officials to look after gauthans and pasturages. He said that youngsters who have returned to Bastar from other states should be provided maximum number of employment opportunities through minor forest produce collection, Panchayat and Rural Development Department and Godhan Nyay Yojana.
Baghel added that special attention should be paid towards marketing arrangements of minor forest produce. Contracts should be signed with companies that use large quantity of forest produces in manufacturing products, and as per their requirements, minor forest produces and herbal medicines should be made available to the companies after processing. He also said that Ayurvedic companies should be encouraged to establish processing plants in Chhattisgarh. Baghel emphasised over setting up a cold storage network across the state for safe storage of agriculture, gardening and forest crops. “Cold storages should be run by the Agriculture and Horticulture Department on PPP models,” said he.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture and Water Resource Minister Ravindra Choubey, Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar, Urban Administration Minister Dr Shiv Kumar Daharia, School Education Minister Dr Premsai Singh Tekam and also Health Minister TS Singhdeo from Ambikapur via video conferencing. Parliamentary Secretary Shishupal Sori and Chandradev Prasad Rai, Advisors to Chief Minister Rajesh Tiwari, Vinod Verma, Pradeep Sharma and Ruchir Garg, Chief Secretary Manoj Pingua, Panchayat and Rural Development Principal Secretary Gaurav Dwivedi, Agriculture Production Commissioner Dr M Geeta, Urban Administration Department Secretary Alermelmangai D, Tribal Caste Welfare Department Secretary DD Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Siddhartha Komal Pardeshi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Rakesh Chaturvedi, also attended.