Chhattisgarh govt plans to set up 300 rural industrial parks in one year

Plans 300 rural industrial parks in 1 year

In a move aimed to strengthen the rural economy and make the “gauthan” (cattle shed) a centre of livelihood, the Chhattisgarh government will set up 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,” Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said.

“We are going to start ‘gramin aajeevika parks’, to be known as ‘rural industrial parks’, to develop gauthans as livelihood centres.”

In keeping with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of gram swar­aj, which is strengthening the rural economy by promoting cottage industries, Baghel has started the initiative to establish such units to provide 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.

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.

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. Production will increase once the 300 parks take shape.

“Now taking a step further, the state government has started procuring cow urine for Rs 4 a litre for making organic fertilisers and pesticides,” the CM said.

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.

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