Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday transferred a total of Rs 5.60 crore into the bank accounts of cattle-rearers, women self-help groups (SHGs) and ‘gauthan’ (cow shelter) committees under the Godhan Nyay Yojana, officials said.
Baghel electronically transferred the amount at a function at his official residence here where he also chaired a meeting with officials of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry departments and asked them to manufacture better quality pest control products and ‘Jeevamrut’ (liquid organic fertilizer) from cow urine being procured under the scheme.
The CM transferred Rs 2.17 crore to cattle-rearer farmers and villagers against the procurement of cow dung from them, while he disbursed Rs 2.07 crore and Rs 1.37 crore to gauthan committees and SHGs, respectively, a government official said.
The state government had launched the scheme in July 2020 under which cow dung is being procured at Rs 2 per kilogram at ‘gauthans’ (cow shelters) and then used to prepare vermicompost.
Last month, the state government started procuring cow urine at Rs 4 per litre in selected gauthans under the scheme.
The CM said so far a sum of Rs 322.94 crore has been paid to different categories of beneficiaries under GNY.
In the last two years, the state government has procured cow dung worth over Rs 155.58 crore. The SHGs have prepared over 22 lakh quintals of vermicompost, super compost and super compost plus fertilizers from cow dung, thereby helping promote organic farming, he said.
Vermicompost is being sold to farmers through cooperative societies at affordable prices. The SHGs and gauthan committees have been given Rs 156.36 crore under the scheme so far, he said.
The CM said Godhan Nyay Yojana was the only scheme of its kind in the country and vermicompost prepared by cow dung has started showing good results.
“As per feedback from farmers, use of organic manure has made the soil soft thereby making it convenient for cultivation. Organic manure also enhances the fertility of soil,” he said.
At the meeting, Baghel directed the officials to manufacture better quality pest control products.
