The Bhupesh government of Chhattisgarh has once again given a big gift to the farmers under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel made a payment of Rs 1522 crore to the bank accounts of about 21 lakh farmers of the state on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi.

On this occasion, an amount of Rs 3 crore 49 lakh was transferred online to the cow dung purchased from cattle rearers and to the Gauthan committees and women self-help groups under the Godhan Nyay Yojana.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Baghel said that the government has adopted the vision of Rajiv Gandhi to eradicate poverty and build a self-reliant India in Chhattisgarh. Following the path shown by him, the state government has started many welfare programs and schemes for all sections of the people including the poor, farmers, and tribals. ‘Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana’ has been started to provide remunerative price to the farmers for their produce.

The government has expanded the scope of this scheme from Kharif season 2021 to include paddy as well as other Kharif crops. Along with this, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhoomheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana is being started to provide financial help to the landless agricultural laborers of rural areas of the state. Under this scheme, 6000 rupees will be given annually to such families of rural areas who do not have agricultural land and are associated with MNREGA or agricultural wages.

Under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, in the year 2020-21, an amount of more than Rs 5600 crore is being given to about 21 lakh farmers of the state in 4 installments as crop production incentive input assistance to paddy and sugarcane growing farmers. 1525 crore 97 lakh was paid to the farmers as the first installment in their account. At the same time, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi, under the scheme, an amount of Rs 1522 crore 3 lakh was transferred to the farmers in their bank accounts as the second installment.

It is worth mentioning here that the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana was implemented in the year 2020 with the objective of providing a fair price to the farmers for their produce, promoting the productivity of Kharif crops and crop diversification, but with a retrospective effect, its benefits from the Kharif marketing year.

In 2019-20, provision was made to give to the farmers selling paddy on support price and Rs 5628 crore was given to the farmers.

This year also, the process of giving input assistance to farmers under this scheme is going on and on August 20, 2021, Rs 1522 crore 3 lakh was paid to paddy and sugarcane farmers as the second installment. It is worth mentioning that through the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, agriculture has been encouraged in the state.

In the last two-and-a-half years, the number of farmers has increased from 15 lakh to 22 lakh and the area under paddy cultivation has increased from 22 lakh hectare to more than 27 lakh hectare. People who have turned away from agriculture have also started joining agriculture again.

To the cattle owners and villagers, as part of the 26th installment of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on August 20, an amount of Rupees One crore 3 lakhs as dividend was paid to the self-help groups and Gauthan committees including Rs 1 crore 46 lakhs, thus paying a total of Rs 3 crore 49 lakhs. It is worth mentioning here that under the Godhan Nyay Yojana started in the state from July 20, 2020, cow dung worth Rs 99 crore 8 lakh has been purchased so far.

This amount is mostly contributed by cow dung sellers, cattle farmers, villagers, and people belonging to the backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes. About 45 percent of the benefitted cow dung sellers are women. Among the beneficiaries, more than 78 thousand people belong to landless families. The money was directly transferred and it was around Rs 18 crore 49 lakh which has been paid to self-help groups associated with Gauthans and Rs 26 crore 75 lakhs to Gauthan committees.