Current Affairs - Chhattisgarh

To strengthen the rural economy and make the “gauthan” (cattle shed) a centre of livelihood, the Chhattisgarh government will set up ‘gramin aajeevika parks’, to be known as ‘rural industrial parks’ in the state.

• In the first year of the project, there will be 300 such parks.
• The project will be launched on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, 2022.
• It in line with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of gram swaraj, which is strengthening the rural economy by promoting cottage industries by providing income-generating opportunities.
• The first such park in Chhattisgarh came up in Kulgaon, Kanker district, which has been named Gandhi Gram. The district administration, along with women’s self-help groups, has developed the park.

Activities involved

• Some of the livelihood-related activities are producing vermi-compost, goat rearing, manufacturing incense sticks, dona-pattal (leaf plate) manufacturing, fish farming, egg production, mushroom output, etc.

Initiatives

• The forest department has started a residential training centre, based on the value addition of minor forest produce.
• Chhattisgarh has set up 8,404 gauthans of the 10,624 sanctioned.
• The state government is procuring cow dung at Rs. 2 a kg for making vermi-compost.
• The state government has started procuring cow urine for Rs. 4 a litre for making organic fertilisers and pesticides.
• The state government has been developing basic infrastructure, such as interlocking, cement/concrete roads, dormitories, residential rooms, kitchen halls, building sheds for women’s self-help groups, and underground irrigation pipelines.

Funding

• The government is planning to use District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds for this.

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh has launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’ (Mitaan stands for a friend), which will be implemented on a pilot basis in 14 municipal corporations including the cities like Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh.

• Under the Scheme, the residents of Chhattisgarh can avail around 100 public services at their doorstep.
• 13 services in 14 municipal corporation areas have been included under the ‘Mitaan’ scheme as announced by the CM in his budget speech for the fiscal year 2022-23.
• Once the concerned department issues the certificate, it will then be delivered at the citizen’s doorstep by the ‘Mitaan’ in a sealed envelope within the prescribed time limit.

• For the consecutive third time, Chhattisgarh will be awarded for being one of the cleanest states of India by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on November 20.
• In 2019 and 2020 too Chhattisgarh was declared a leading state in terms of cleanliness.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced the creation of four new districts along with 18 tehsils during his 15th August address on 75th Independence Day.

• The new districts that will come into existence are Manendragarh, Mohla-Manpur, Sakti and Sarangarh-Bilaigarh. The declaration takes the total number of districts in the state to 32.

Other Announcements

• ‘Minimata Park’: ‘Minimata Park’ will be developed exclusively for the women in every district headquarter and the municipal corporation of the state. Minimata was the first woman MP from Chhattisgarh elected in 1952 and had devoted her life toward empowerment of women and betterment of society.
• ‘Dhanwantari Yojana’: Medicines at concessional rates as decided by the state government to be made available to the people under the ‘Dhanwantari Yojana’ across the urban areas.