We put ₹1.75 trillion into a/cs of people in Chhattisgarh: Baghel
1 min read 30 May 2023, 11:10 PM ISTThese policies stimulated consumption and economic activity in the state, Baghel said. The annual income in Chhattisgarh has increased to ₹133,000 per year from ₹96,000 in 2018, he said.

New Delhi: Chhattisgarh has succeeded in transferring ₹1.75 trillion to ordinary citizens since the current government took office in 2018, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the Mint India Public Policy Summit, Baghel said this transfer was possible due to his government’s signature policies centred around debt relief for farmers, financial support for landless labourers and the Godhan Nyay Yojana, under which it had started buying cow dung from farmers.
These policies stimulated consumption and economic activity in the state, Baghel said. The annual income in Chhattisgarh has increased to ₹133,000 per year from ₹96,000 in 2018, he said.
Increasing incomes has been a key focus for the state government, given Chhattisgarh’s alarming economic and social indicators in 2018. High rates of poverty, widespread cases of undernutrition among children under the age of five and anaemia among women were key social challenges facing the state.
As the state heads into an election this year, Baghel’s pitch to voters centres around a few key schemes. First, his government has backed loan forgiveness for farmers to the tune of ₹9,000 crore. Second, the state government has pushed agricultural support for farmers through the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana and the Bhumiheen Shramik Yojana. The latter provides ₹7,000 annually for agricultural labourers. Procurement of rice paddy at ₹2,500 a quintal has also been a key plank of Baghel’s push to increase farmer incomes.
Another key policy was the Godhan Nyay Yojana, which has seen the state government procure cow dung at the rate of ₹2 per kg. The cow dung thus acquired is turned into vermicompost, which is then used in agricultural fields.
Baghel believes the scheme will be a game-changer for cattle-rearing, which was earlier seen as an economically unviable proposition.
When questioned about the state of Chhattisgarh’s public finance, Baghel robustly defended his administration’s record.
He argued that despite his government’s spending on welfare schemes, his state remained within the fiscal guidelines laid down by the Reserve Bank of India and the Union government.
This was particularly the case, he said, when compared to other states such as Punjab or Uttar Pradesh.
The state’s overall development has also benefited from its successful campaign to combat the influence of Naxals, he said. The core of the Naxalite manifesto, Baghel argued, was its promise to deliver rights over jal, jangal, jameen (water, forests and land). By proactively moving to provide these rights to vulnerable groups, he believes his government has been able to diminish the influence of Naxalite groups.
He also pointed out that the Naxals were not from Chhattisgarh itself but came from other parts of the country while the state’s residents were largely being used as foot soldiers
The chief minister pointed to his government’s 2018 decision to return land that Tata Steel had acquired to its tribal owners after no industry was set up. The state government then helped develop the returned land, in what he believes is an effective example of people-centric governance.
Speaking of the future, Baghel has certain key demands for the central government. He stated that his government has to recoup roughly ₹28-30 lakh crore from the Centre, which accounts for sums due to the state over several years.
In particular, Baghel took issue with the country’s coal policy, which he believes has left Chhattisgarh at a disadvantage.
He estimated that the state had suffered an estimated loss of ₹9 lakh crore over 30 years on account of the country’s coal policy. His government also hopes the Centre will revive GST compensation payments to states, which were phased out last year.
He also hopes to secure a subsidy for vermicomposting, which his administration has encouraged.
As a result, he claims that Chhattisgarh is losing out on about ₹5,000-6,000 crore annually.
While compensation was awarded for five years to the states, Baghel called for the compensation period to be extended to 10 years. He also reiterated a longstanding demand for the Union government to transfer ₹4,100 crore, which was deposited in a central pool by coal companies.
Baghel argued that if producers of urea were receiving a subsidy, the same facility could also be extended to farmers. Chattisgarh’s chief minister stated that he has already raised the matter with the government.