Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel virtually transferred amount to beneficiaries under the Godhan Nyay Yojana in a programme held at the Chief Minister’s House here on Tuesday.

Baghel transferred an amount of Rs 7.05 crore to cow herders, cow dung sellers, gothan committees and women self-help groups in the programme. From December 16 to 31, Rs 4.59 crore was transferred into the account of cattle rearing villagers, farmers and landless farmers for procuring 2.29 lakh quintal dung, Rs 1.46 crore to gothan committees and Rs 1 crore to women self-groups in gothans.

Addressing the programme, Baghel announced that 37 Gobar paint manufacturing plants will be established in 37 gothans throughout 25 districts in State.

Baghel said that solar dryers will be made available in gothans for drying green and leafy vegetables. In view of the large scale production of tomatoes in Dhamdha and Pathalgaon, the work of selling tomatoes can be started by drying them in the gothans of these areas. Similarly, in other places, the vegetables of Chhattisgarh can be dried and their sale can be started. This new work will also increase the income of farmers, he added. The Chief Minister said that Godhan Nyaya Yojana and Rural Industrial Park will soon prove a successful scheme by providing income and employment to the villagers. People are getting huge support for these schemes. The villagers are demanding to establish new Rural Industrial Park, he added. The Chief Minister said that out of 10,894 sanctioned Gothans, the construction of 9,591 Gothans has been completed. About 50 per cent of gothans have become self-reliant, 4,564 self-supporting gothans have purchased cow dung worth Rs 35.19 crore from their own funds so far, Baghel said. Production is already under way of natural paint-making facilities in two units of Raipur and Durg districts and one unit of Kanker district. The sale of 3307 liters of natural paint earned an income of Rs 7,02,030 out of 8997 litres manufactured. So far, 1,15,423 litres of gaumutra have been purchased at Rs 4 per liter from 96 Gothans. Women’s self-help groups have earned an amount of Rs 22.43 lakh from the sale of the insecticide Brahmastra and the enhancer Jeevamrit made from gaumutra. On the Chief Minister’s request for Paira donation, farmers in Gothans donated 10.32 lakh quintals of paddy stubble. So far, cow dung vendors have received Rs 197.45 crore. So far, 98.73 lakh quintals of cow dung have been purchased. An amount of Rs 171.87 crore has been paid to Gothan committees and women’s self-help groups so far. Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey also addressed the programme. Advisor to Chief Minister Pradeep Sharma, State Mineral Development Corporation Chairman Girish Dewangan, Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, Agriculture Production Commissioner Dr Kamalpreet Singh and other officers were also present.