'Give security to workers sinking borewells in Bastar'

Chief Minister Raman Singh has directed district collectors and police officers in Bastar division to provide security to those workers, who are sinking borewells in the remote insurgency-infested regions. He was addressing the Bastar and Southern region Tribal Development Authority meeting held at the Mantralaya here. The officers attending the meeting informed that about `31.84 crore had been sanctioned to provide electricity connections to irrigation pumps for 3,299 farmers in the region. 

Singh said that this is the first time after the country's Independence and the formation of Chhattisgarh that 38 rig machines have been deployed to sink 3,800 bore-wells in the backward regions of the State. About 1,000 wells have been sunk in the last two months. The employees are working continuously in the operation.

Public Relations Department Secretary and the then Secretary Public Health Engineering Ganesh Shankar Mishra said that there are about 8,000 habitations where there is temporary facility of water. About 3,800 habitats are located at these three districts in the Bastar region alone.  

The habitations are situated in difficult forest and inhospitable terrain. The authorities have decided in January this year to station 38 rig machines in the region. Seventeen machines are located in Bijapur district and sinking the well, he said.

Public Health Engineering Secretary M Geeta said that the sinking of wells is being done on a war-footing and the entire process will be completed by March 31 this year.

Chief Minister Raman Singh said that the officers should carry on with new experiments in the region. Majority of the citizens should be helped with the State Government schemes.

The Development Authority officials should sit with the people's representatives and exchange their ideas for the benefit of the general public, he said.

Dantewada Collector K C Devsenapati  in a power point presentation made in the meeting said that the organic farming method 'Mocho Kheti' in the region and a co-operative society was started to promote milk production in the district.  

The organic farming is followed on 300 hectares of land since 2013-14 under the 'Mocho Badi' Programme. Organic farming had been done on 700 hectares of land this year. There is increase in production of paddy from 13 quintals per hectare to 55 quintal per hectare during the past two years.

The farmers are increasingly using organic manure in the area. There is an increase in milk production also. A chilling plant has been installed and milk is supplied to about 7,000 children of 'PORTA Cabins'.

Collector of Narayanpur Yashwant Kumar said the MNREGA Tracking Software has been developed to monitor the works in Narayanpur district. 

Dantewada and Narayanpur districts have been given National Awards for MNREGA works. The people's representatives and officers present at the meeting appreciated the efforts of officers of both the districts.