CM Baghel to release Rs 13.57 crore to the beneficiaries of Godhan NYAY Yojana on May 21
Raipur: Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will virtually release an amount of Rs 13.57 crore to the beneficiaries of the Godhan NYAY Yojana during the ‘Bharose ka Sammelan’ to be organized in Sankra Patan of Durg district, on May 21. This includes payment of Rs 3.95 crore to cattle rearers in lieu of 1.98 lakh quintals of cow dung procured from May 1 to May 15 in Gauthans, and payment of Rs 5.66 crore and Rs 3.96 crore to Gauthan committees and women Self-Help Groups respectively as a dividend.
Under the Godhan NYAY Yojana, payments totaling Rs 445.14 crore have already been made to cow dung sellers, Gauthan committees, and women self-help groups as of April 30 this year. After the payment of Rs 13.57 crore on May 21, this figure will increase to Rs 458.71 crore.
The Godhan NYAY Yojana, which commenced on July 20, 2020, on the occasion of the Hareli festival, is one of the most popular schemes of the Chhattisgarh government. Under this scheme, cow dung is purchased from the beneficiaries at the rate of Rs 2 per Kg and ‘Gomutra’ (cow urine) at the rate of Rs 4 per liter in Gauthans. As part of the Garuva component of the Suraji Gaon Yojana, a total of 10,426 Gauthans have been approved in villages, out of which 10,206 Gauthans have been constructed and are operational. As of April 30, 2023, a total of 114.28 lakh quintals of cow dung has been purchased in operational Gauthans, with dung sellers receiving a payment of Rs 228.42 crore.
The ambitious scheme has benefited 3,41,713 cattle rearers, including 46.51 per cent of women. It has also provided support to landless rural families. Approximately 2 lakh landless families have gained livelihood opportunities by selling cow dung and engaging in employment-generating activities in Gauthans.
Under the Godhan NYAY Yojana, vermicompost and super compost are being produced from purchased cow dung, along with other products. So far, 32.72 lakh quintals of vermicompost have been prepared from cow dung, out of which 24.54 lakh quintals have been purchased by farmers and used in their fields, promoting organic farming in the state.
The coordination between Gauthans and the Godhan NYAY Yojana has led to an increase in employment opportunities in villages. Gauthans have emerged as strong centers of livelihood in rural areas, where various income-generating activities such as community gardening, commercial vegetable production, poultry farming, goat farming, animal husbandry, fish farming, and the production of cow dung based products including natural paint, earthen lamps, incense sticks, flower pots, and ‘gokasht’ are being carried out. These activities are economically empowering women associated with self-help groups. A total of 14,504 women self-help groups, comprising 1,71,585 members are associated with Gauthans. Through these income-generating activities, these women groups have generated an income of about Rs 131.43 crore.
As a result of the benefits derived from income-generating activities and the Godhan NYAY Yojana, the number of self-sufficient Gauthans is increasing steadily. These self-sufficient Gauthans now utilize their own accumulated funds to purchase cow dung and meet other requirements of the Gauthan. A total of 5,709 Gauthans in the state are now self-sufficient. Women Self-Help Groups in Gauthans have initiated the production of organic pesticides such as Bramhastra and crop growth enhancers like Jeevamrit with the ‘gomutra’ purchased in Gauthans. The sale of 74,401 liters of Bramhastra and 31,478 liters of Jeevamrit has generated an income of Rs 48.50 lakhs to date.
