Food irradiation plant to be set up in Chhattisgarh

Central Chronicle News
Raipur, Dec 20: Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has given in-principle consent for the establishment of Food Irradiation Park (irradiation of food items) in the government sector in the state. Expressing happiness over the initiative being taken by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center for transfer of technology for power generation from cow dung and food irradiation plant in Chhattisgarh, he said that this would help the farmers of the state to get more benefits of their produce.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, while transferring an amount of Rs 3 crore 93 lakh online to cow dung sellers, Gouthan committees and women self-help groups under the Godhan Nyay Yojana, at his residence office today, congratulated the cattle owners, Gouthan committees and the women of the group. He directed to purchase cow dung from the cattle rearing farmers in the Gouthans (cow-shelters). Chief Minister also launched Gouthan Map app developed by NIC for monitoring the activities conducted in Gouthans. Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, Former Union Minister Bhakta Charandas, Advisor to Chief Minister Pradeep Sharma, Chairman of Mineral Development Corporation Girish Devangan were specially present on this occasion.
With establishment of Gouthans in villages and implementation of Godhan Nyay Yojana, work is being done to protect and serve the cows in the state, Baghel said. Cattle rearers are rendering their services to cows, shepherds, he said. Animal feed and water have been arranged in the Gouthans, he said. The Chief Minister also said that the cattle owners of all villages should get the benefit of selling cow dung under the Godhan Nyay Yojana. For this, arrangements should be made to procure cow dung from the people of dependent villages in Gouthans, he said. He appealed to the farmers to donate straw for cattle fodder in Gouthans. According to him the straw collected in Gouthans is not enough. He directed the Agriculture Production Commissioner to conduct the campaign to encourage donation of straw on a large scale through all the collectors and get the straw collected from the farmers’ fields. The Chief Minister also gave necessary instructions to the officers regarding the arrangement of green fodder in Gouthans. He said that harvesting of green fodder had been done by the Forest Department. Animal farmers should be encouraged to purchase green fodder. Arrangements should be made to bring green fodder to the Gouthans.
The Chief Minister directed that at least five types of income-oriented activities should be started compulsorily in all the Gouthans, so that the income of the women groups associated with the Gouthans could be increased. He directed that the work of processing and value addition of minor forest produce should be started on priority in the Gouthans of forest region. The Chief Minister said that the farmers of the state have used vermicompost and super compost produced in the Gouthans of the state in their fields. Farmers say that vermi compost has increased the fertility of the land and the soil condition of the fields has improved. To promote the use of Vermi Compost and Super Compost, the Chief Minister directed to give wide publicity to it and encourage the farmers.
Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said that according to the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the Agriculture Department is speeding up the work of approval and construction of Gouthans in villages. Gouthans will be established in all the gram panchayats of the state. Under the Godhan Nyay Yojana, the department will now extend the dung purchase in Gouthans. So far, about 14 lakh quintals of vermi and super compost have been produced from cow dung. He said that Godhan Nyay Yojana is exemplary for the whole country and this scheme is being praised all over the country. At the beginning of the program, Agriculture Production Commissioner Dr Kamalpreet gave a power point presentation regarding the progress of Godhan Nyay Yojana. He also informed about the progress of technology transfer of cow dung power generation and food irradiation plant in Chhattisgarh from Bhabha Atomic Research Center. Additional Chief Secretary Subrat Sahoo, Director Agriculture Yashwant Kumar, Director Horticulture Matheswaran V, Director Veterinary Smt Chandan Tripathi and other officers were present in the program.

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