Bhupesh Baghel accomplished three years in workplace as chief minister lately. Underneath his stewardship, Chhattisgarh has emerged as a mannequin state, with achievements in over two dozen sectors, and recognised and awarded on the nationwide degree over these years. In an interview with Ashutosh Sharma, the chief minister spoke in regards to the Chhattisgarh mannequin of growth, explaining how his authorities has been engaged on Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Gram Swaraj.
Right here’re the edited excerpts:
What have been your focus areas as chief minister?
Our authorities has been working to enhance the financial standing of farmers and tribals. Training, well being and employment technology have additionally been our priorities.
Chhattisgarh is the one state that has been giving the best minimal help worth (MSP) for crops. Now we have been procuring 52 minor forest merchandise by means of self-help teams. The speed of tendu leaf assortment, for example, has been hiked from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000 per normal bag.
Chhattisgarh produces cashew nuts in bulk. Because of the processing, packaging and worth addition of the minor merchandise, lakhs of individuals are producing further revenue. Earlier, individuals would promote cashew nuts on the price of Rs 50 per kg. Now they promote at Rs 300-1800 per kg. Consequently, the tribals have began incomes good cash.
Likewise, we’ve got success tales about turmeric, mahua flowers and several other natural crops. Ladies self-help teams supported by the federal government have been making at the very least 18 kinds of medicines from the native herbs. In 2021, Chhattisgarh bagged 10 nationwide awards for its efficiency in procurement, processing and advertising of forest produce. Moreover, beneath the Forest Rights Act, we’ve got began distributing entitlements of 19 lakh hectares to the tribal inhabitants.
Of late, a number of girls self-help teams out of your state have made headlines for his or her inspirational success tales. What’s the concept behind all the federal government initiatives aimed on the financial empowerment of ladies?
A rustic can’t progress with out the financial participation of half of its inhabitants. That is why we’ve got launched a number of financial welfare schemes for ladies. If girls are economically empowered solely then her dwelling and household, society and the nation will finally get empowered.
Your authorities has created a document of types in paddy procurement. How was this feat achieved?
Chhattisgarh is named a rice bowl. Earlier, paddy was procured solely on the MSP. However our authorities began procuring paddy from farmers at Rs 2,500 per quintal. The Centre created some hurdles, however we launched the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana (in 2020). Underneath this scheme, we’ve got transferred an quantity of Rs 5,700 crores to farmers’ accounts inside one 12 months. We’re paying Rs 9,000 per acre. However from 2022 onwards we can pay the farmers for the complete crop.
Additionally, we’re making comparable preparations for the acquisition of millets within the tribal-dominated areas, one thing being performed by a state for the primary time. Our authorities has been encouraging farmers for crop diversification. Now we have incentivised forest plantation and launched money crops. We’re additionally selling dairy, poultry and fisheries sectors.
The state has been procuring cow dung from cattle-rearers. What’s it doing with it?
Identical to Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh was additionally combating the issue of stray cattle. Our authorities arrange practically 8000 gauthans (cow shelters) and began procuring cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram beneath the Gaudhan Nyay Yojana. Previously 12 months, we’ve got bought 54 lakh quintals of cow dung. And to this point, we’ve got disbursed Rs 116 crores for the procurement.
The cow dung is became vermicompost and natural manure. Now we have bought at the very least 14 lakh quintal vermicompost manure to the farmers to this point. This has decreased the dependence on chemical fertilizers as effectively. The cow dung can be getting used to arrange different helpful gadgets similar to diyas (lamps), flower vases and idols amongst different issues. Not less than 70,000 girls are related to this initiative in direction of inclusive development.
Now we’re going to generate electrical energy from cow dung. This experiment has been efficiently performed at three gauthans at Raipur, Durg and Bemetara.
We experimented with the assistance of native jugaad and demonstrated that energy could be generated from cow dung. To generate electrical energy on a much bigger scale, we’ve got approached the Bhabha Atomic Analysis Centre and another corporations in Germany for offering us with the required expertise. In addition to this, we’re additionally planning to fabricate natural paint from cow dung.
Non-BJP states complain that the Centre discriminates towards them on disbursement of the funds. What has been your expertise?
The Centre owes Rs 13,000 crore to Chhattisgarh so far as disbursement and compensation beneath a number of central taxes are involved. It has utterly withheld these funds for the previous three years. Equally, the Centre has to pay over Rs 4,000 crore as coal compensation as per instructions of the Supreme Courtroom. Actually, the Centre has been pushing us to take loans in lieu of the Items and Providers Tax compensation. It was supposed to increase monetary help within the wake of the pandemic but it surely has been saddling the states with debt. This will need to have been occurring with the BJP-ruled states as effectively. However they will’t converse out.
(Bhupesh Baghel | Picture credit score: Hardik Chhabra/Outlook)
What precisely is the Chhattisgarh mannequin of financial growth?
Seven years in the past, the Gujarat mannequin was the speak of the city. This mannequin helped the wealthy get richer whereas the poor develop into poorer. Uttar Pradesh has been following this path. The Chhattisgarh mannequin is impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Gram Swaraj. Now we have been constantly working for the financial emancipation of the labourers, farmers and the destitute. That is the rationale that there’s raunak in cities and cities. Totally different financial sectors similar to textile, vehicle, gems-jewellery and actual property have been witnessing development.
Each Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are agriculture-based economies. The economies in each states can’t be strengthened with out the financial empowerment of the farmers— who occur to be the most important shoppers. If farmers don’t have the shopping for capability how will the merchants and businessmen make earnings?
Now we have put cash within the pocket of twenty-two lakh farmers and 13 lakh forest dwellers, moreover 10 lakh each day wage-earning labourers.
Our authorities has introduced the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana, beneath which monetary help of Rs 6,000 per 12 months is given to the landless poor households.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has prompt a non-Congress various to the Modi-led BJP. Your views?
Mamata Banerjee has been a Congress chief earlier than she based TMC. She has solid political alliances, each with Congress and the BJP up to now. In Bengal, she gave political area to the BJP. One can’t deny the truth that, in contrast to different opposition events, you’ll discover booth-level Congress employees in each nook of the nation. On the nationwide degree, opposition events can’t speak of an anti-BJP entrance with out Congress.
