Godhan Nyay Yojana: Chhattisgarh eyes subsidy for vermicompost production

The Chhattisgarh government is eyeing subsidies on the vermicompost produced in the state under the Godhan Nyay Yojana.

The move was necessitated as the state government predicted a surge in demand besides helping villagers to get more return from producing vermicompost using cow-dung.

The Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh has started procuring cow dung under its Godhan Nyay Yojana launched in 2020. Reported to be first in the country and also the world, the state government is purchasing cow dung by paying sellers Rs 2 per kilogram.

As of now, the Chhattisgarh government has purchased 7.35 million quintals of cow dung, paying Rs 147.06 crore to the committees and strengthening the rural economy.

The payment is transferred to the bank account of the sellers. The government has trained local woman self-help groups (SHGs) and engaged them in manufacturing vermicompost out of the collected cow dung. The SHGs package it to sell it at Rs 10 per kg.

The state government has sent a proposal to the ministry of fertiliser, urging it to grant vermicompost the benefit of nutrition-based subsidy (NBS) on the lines of chemical fertilisers.

“The chief minister also took up the matter at the recently-held zonal council meeting in Bhopal,” a state government spokesperson said. The proposal has been accepted and the Centre is likely to take a final decision in this regard, he added.

The NBS programme for fertilisers was initiated in the year 2010.

Under the scheme, a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on an annual basis, is provided on each grade of subsidised phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers, except urea. In April, the Centre had approved the proposal for NBS rates for P&K fertilisers for kharif season 2022. The subsidy approved by the Cabinet for the kharif season is Rs 60,939.23 crore.

According to state government officials, the demand for vermicompost is increasing fast as farmers have reported a surge in production by using manure.