CM pitches for ‘Gobar-Dhan’ to shore up rural economy

Chief Minister Raghubar Das, pitching strongly for the ways of additional income to villagers, especially women, batted for the ‘Gobar-Dhan’ scheme which is meant to produce biogas and other useful byproducts using animal dung, household wastes, wastes generated out of agricultural activities.

Addressing one-day workshop on the scheme, the CM called on women SHGs to prepare a whole list of other cattle, including cows and add them to this plan. “Install a dung gas plant outside the village. This will not only give us green energy but our village will also be clean. Rural people will also become self-sufficient and empowered. Also, due to hygiene the villages would also become disease free,” he said on Monday. 

Outlining the benefits of the scheme, the CM said that besides producing green energy, the farmers, who have provided dung for biogas generation, can get organic fertilizer in return. “The Central Government is providing 100 per cent subsidy to Gram Panchayat and 70 per cent subsidy to self-help group models for installing Gobar Gas plants. You should avail the facility to get clean energy as well as fertilizer,” said Das.

The Chief Minister, on the occasion, also slammed Mukhiyas for not discharging their duties by forming village development committees. “If a mukhiya does not work, then the Gobar Gas plants will be installed in villages through self-help groups. Everyone will have to cooperate. Rapid development is possible only through public participation.”

The Chief Minister also shared figures of OFD in 2014 for Jharkhand that was 18 percent but now due to good governance of four years it has reached to 85 per cent. “By October 2 this year on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi we have to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation by making a clean Jharkhand. Deputy Development Commissioners of the laggard districts like Godda, Palamu and Gumla need to accelerate. These districts are lagging behind in Swachch Bharat Mission,” he added further.

Minister Chandra Prakash Chaudhary said that Jharkhand has made considerable progress in the area of ??hygiene. “This is the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Jharkhand in his Mann Ki Baat programme. If we continue to work in a planned way, the results will come faster. We also have to bring Jharkhand to the top position in the country in terms of hygiene,” said he.

Secretary of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Aradhna Patnaik, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Director of Swachch Bharat Mission (Jharkhand) Rajesh Kumar and others were present.