Tag: Chhattisgarh

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10 MPs Resign As BJP Eyes New CM Faces

Amid suspense over Chief Ministerships, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers S Jaishankar, Amit Shah and Ashwani Vaishanaw were among other MPs who arrived today morning in Parliament to participate in a key BJP Parliamentary party meeting…reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has emerged victorious in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the recently concluded Assembly polls is likely to introduce fresh faces for the post of Chief Minister in these three states, a source said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers S Jaishankar, Amit Shah and Ashwani Vaishanaw were among other MPs who arrived on Thursday morning in Parliament to participate in a key Parliamentary party meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today.

BJP President JP Nadda met PM Modi and Amit Shah at the PM’s official residence on Tuesday evening to discuss the chief ministerial probables for the three states. The meeting, according to sources, lasted over 4 hours. It was decided during the meeting to introduce young leaders as chief ministers who have the potential of being seen as the ‘face of the party’ for the next 20-25 years.

Sources said that keeping this particular point in mind, it was decided that Parliamentarians and Union Ministers would resign and get actively involved in state politics.

On high command’s direction, ten BJP MPs including two union ministers who won the assembly elections resigned from the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Parliamentarians from Madhya Pradesh like Prahlad Patel, Narendra Singh Tomar, Rao Uday Pratap, Rakesh Singh and Riti Pathak resigned on Wednesday from Lok Sabha membership.

Both Patel and Tomar are ministers in the PM Modi-led Cabinet, and they are likely to resign as ministers soon, a source said. The two Ministers are also being counted among the prime contenders for the post of Chief Minister.

Besides, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Diya Kumar — both from Rajasthan, have resigned as Lok Sabha member.

Another BJP leader from Rajasthan, Kirodi Lal Meena, who won Assembly polls in the desert state, has resigned as a Rajya Sabha member.

Two other MPs — Baba Balaknath and Renuka Singh — are also expected to resign as parliamentarians soon. Singh is also a Union Minister, and she is likely to resign from the Union Cabinet.

Arun Sao and Gomati Sai, two MPs from Chhattisarh — another state where the BJP registered victory and wrested power from the Congress, also resigned from the Parliament’s Lower House on Wednesday.

A total of 21 MPs were fielded in the three states — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, by the BJP. Of them, 12 emerged victorious.

Among fresh faces, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s name is one of the most discussed one, a source said.

If incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not given the CM post for the fifth time, the BJP is likely to be one of the leaders among Scindia, Tomar, Patel and Kailash Vijayvargiya.

In Rajasthan, the BJP is likely to introduce a new face as CM instead of senior party leader Vasundhara Raje. However, amid suspense, Raje arrived in the national capital on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Raje, who secured a fresh term in the Assembly from the Jhalrapatan assembly constituency, said, “I have come to visit my daughter-in-law.”

Diya Kumari, who is also from a royal family like Raje, might be among the contenders for the CM post considering she is younger, and also has the prospect of becoming another CM, sources said.

Besides, Baba Balaknath, a Hindutva face, could also emerge as a CM face, on the lines of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Also, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, senior BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena and Rajasthan unit BJP chief CP Joshi are also among the CM contenders.

Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, tribal faces of the state — Union Minister Renuka Singh, former state unit president Vishnudev Sai, and current state president Arun Sao, and former IAS officer OP Chaudhary, are being considered as CM probables.

According to sources, the high command is likely to appoint a Chief Minister along with Deputy Chief Ministers in the three states.

The BJP would soon finalise the names and a final decision would be taken at the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting following which the party would announce the Chief Ministers’ names.

ALSO READ-Exit Polls Stumped as BJP Sweeps Hindi Heartland

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BJP Discusses CM Probables For MP, Raj & Chhattisgarh

A source in the know of things said that Nadda is likely to share the feedback he received so far with Modi during his meeting with the Prime Minister…reports Asian Lite News

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi to discuss the names for the post of chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the saffron emerged victorious in the recently-concluded Assembly polls, a source said.

The BJP leadership has been holding discussions on the probable chief ministerial names since the results were announced on Sunday (December 3).

Senior party leaders, especially those who oversaw the election process in the three states, have met Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, as well as on Tuesday, to submit their feedback.

A source in the know of things said that Nadda is likely to share the feedback he received so far with Modi during his meeting with the Prime Minister.

The BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh while it defeated the Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to wrest power from the grand old party.

ALSO READ-BJP Set to Form Govt in Chhattisgarh

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BJP Set to Form Govt in Chhattisgarh

The saffron party has crossed the majority mark by securing 54 seats…reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Chhattisgarh assembly polls and is set to form the government in the 90-member state Assembly, as the party has crossed the majority mark by securing 54 seats. Congress came a distant second with 35 seats, as the counting of votes in the state neared its end.

BJP leader and former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh has won from the Rajnandgaon seat by 45,084 votes against Congress’ Girish Dewangan. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Congress chief and Lok Sabha MP Deepak Baij has lost to BJP’s Vinayak Goyal by 8,370 votes in Chitrakot.

While the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and senior Congress leader T.S. Singhdeo got a very tough fight from Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rajesh Agarwal and was defeated with a close margin of 94 votes.

Ambikapur is part of Chhattisgarh’s Surguja division, which comprises 14 assembly segments. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress swept the region, winning all 14 seats, ostensibly under the leadership of Singh Deo. In the 2013 elections, the Congress and the BJP won 7 seats each.

Ahead of the state assembly elections, held in two phases on November 7 and 17.

BJP vote share zooms to 46.27 pc

As it surged to victory in the tribal heartland of Chhattisgarh, the BJP claimed a significant vote share of 46.27 per cent to 42.23 per cent of the incumbent Congress.

According to the data shared by the Election Commission (EC) as votes for four states — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana — were counted on Sunday, the BJP secured an absolute majority, winning 54 seats while the Congress trailed at 35 seats.

A total of 1,181 candidates across parties pitted themselves against each other for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly.

The polling in the state was held in two phases, with the first on November 7 featuring 223 candidates and the second seeing 958 candidates put their electoral fates to the test on November 17.

The major contenders in the battle for the hustings in Chhatisgarh were the BJP, Congress, Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Other regional outfits such as the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), the Hamar Raj Party (HRP) and the Left parties were also in the fray.

Even as the Congress failed to secure a fresh term at the helm, outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who faced allegations of receiving payoffs in excess of Rs 500 crores from the promoters of the Mahadev betting app, scored a face-saving over his distant nephew and BJP candidate Vijay Baghel, from the Patan constituency, by a margin of 19,723 votes.

BJP stalwart and former CM Raman Singh, who came to be regarded as one of the longest-serving chief ministers of any state while at the helm of Chhattisgarh, prevailed over Congress’s Girish Dewangan from the Rajnandgaon constituency by a margin of 45,084 votes.

The Naxal stronghold of Bastar, which was in focus because of the demographic dominance of tribal communities, saw the Congress’s Baghel Lakheshwar win over the BJP’s Maniram Kashyap by a slender margin of 6,434 votes.

Meanwhile, in North Raipur, BJP candidate Purandar Mishra trounced Congress’s Kuldeep Singh Juneja by 23,054 votes.

In the South Raipur constituency, Brijmohan Aggarwal of the BJP coasted to a win over Congress’s Mahant Ramsundar Das by 67,719 votes.

In West Raipur, too, the BJP’s Rajesh Munat emerged victorious over the Congress’s Vikas Upadhyay by 41,229 votes.

In rural Raipur, Motilal Sahu of the BJP defeated Congress’s Pankaj Sharma by 35,750 votes.

Corruption allegations, particularly with regard to recruitment for government jobs, and the alleged Mahadev betting scam became major political talking points leading up to the Chhattisgarh elections.

The BJP’s win in Chhattisgarh defied exit-poll projections, which pointed to a close contest and an eventual win for the Congress.

The resounding mandate for the BJP in the tribal heartland is also being seen as a thumbs down to the Congress’s caste census pledge.

During the campaign, Congress leaders had promised to conduct a caste census in the state if voted back, saying it would enable it to provide the backward communities their due on the basis of their population.

However, as the results showed, the caste-census pitch clearly didn’t wash with the electorate in the state. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Global media commends BJP after saffron sweep  

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Second phase of polling in Chhattisgarh  

Over 18,800 polling stations have been set up for the voting that commenced from 8 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m…reports Asian Lite News

The voting for the second and final phase of the elections in Chhattisgarh was underway on Friday for the remaining 70 seats in the 90-member Assembly.

The electoral fate of many prominent candidates, including the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, his deputy T.S. Singh Deo, and BJP state president Arun Sao will be determined in this phase.

Over 18,800 polling stations have been set up for the voting that commenced from 8 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m.

However, voting in nine polling booths — Kamarbhaudi, Amamora, Odh, Bade Gobra, Ganwargaon, Gariba, Nagesh, Sahbinkachhar, and Kodomali — in the Maoist-affected Bindranawagarh seat in Gariaband district will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. due to security reasons.

A total of 958 candidates are in the fray across the 70 seats, including CM Baghel, deputy CM T.S. Singh Deo, eight state ministers, and four members of Parliament.

Like in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh is also witnessing a bipolar contest between the BJP and Congress.

The BJP’s campaign was largely spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed four rallies in the state where he targeted the current Bhupesh Baghel-led government — especially over the issue of corruption and the alleged Mahadev betting app scam.

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge along with state party leaders, including CM Bhupesh Baghel did extensive campaigning.

The first phase election for 20 out of 90 Assembly seats was conducted on November 7, which saw 78 per cent voter turnout. The counting will be held on December 3 along with four other poll-bound states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram.

The BJP, which ruled the state continuously between 2003 and 2018, is seeking to replace the Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Bahgel.

ALSO READ-MP polls to test BJP’s strategy and Congress’ promises

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Campaigning ends for Mizoram, 20 seats in Chhattisgarh

Political parties unofficially wound up their canvassing 24 hours ahead of schedule, observing a silent Sunday, both Modi, who skipped campaigning here, and Kharge released a video appeal for the voters…reports Asian Lite News

The campaign for the elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly and 20 Assembly segments in Chhattisgarh came to a close on Sunday ahead of the polling on November 7.

Political parties unofficially wound up their canvassing 24 hours ahead of schedule, observing a silent Sunday, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who skipped campaigning here, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge released a video appeal for the voters. Modi made a pitch for “marvellous Mizoram” while Kharge claimed that it was the Congress that brought “peace and stability” to the State.

Meanwhile in Chhattisgarh, on the last day of campaigning for the 20 seats, Modi visited Maa Bamleshwari temple in Dongargarh in company with former Chief Minister Raman Singh whose fate among other candidates will also be sealed on November 7.

In his video address for Mizoram voters, Modi said the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had been trying relentlessly to reduce the psychological and physical distance between New Delhi and the northeast since 2014.

“We have given priority to realising your dreams and fulfilling your needs. In the last nine years, I have visited the northeast 60 times and the BJP has brought Delhi to the doorsteps of the people of the region,” the Prime Minister said, underlining his party’s commitment to building a “marvellous Mizoram”.

“During one of my earlier visits to Mizoram, I had promised to work for transformation by transportation. Since then, a revolution has happened across sectors due to the work of the BJP-led government,” Modi said.

He cited the example of more than Rs 8,500 crore invested in a broad gauge railway project connecting Bairabi near the Assam-Mizoram border to Sairang, about 18 km from State capital Aizawl; the increase in the length of national highways in the northeast from 11,000 km in 2014 to 16,000 km in 2022-23, and Rs 500 crore sanctioned for urban development under the Aizawl Smart City project.

The Prime Minister said the NDA government had helped about 4.5 lakh people in Mizoram get free treatment across 100 hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and 1.7 lakh farmers received amount directly into their bank accounts under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.

“When infrastructure improves, it helps trade, talent, and tourism, brings investment, industry, and income growth, and creates opportunities for our young friends in Mizoram. The BJP is committed to creating a marvellous Mizoram. I am sure we will get your support and blessings to make it happen,” the Prime Minister said.

Kharge, meanwhile sought to remind the voters that Rajiv Gandhi had signed the historic Mizo accord in 1986 and secured statehood in 1987. “Successive Congress governments have ensured peace, stability, tribal culture, identity and secularism in Mizoram,” he said. The RSS, he said, was “hell-bent on destroying your culture, values, religion and the Mizo way of life. The Modi government wants to take your land and forests and gift that to their crony friends.” 

In Chhattisgarh, the last day of campaigning for 20 seats, that include 12 seats of tribal belt of Bastar, saw the Congress releasing its manifesto and the Prime Minister making a temple run. Modi visited Dongargarh, a popular pilgrimage spot in Rajnandagon district.

Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh is contesting the Rajnandagon seat for a fourth time in a row. Modi also paid a visit to Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Majharaj at Chandragiri Jain Mandir. From BJP president J.P. Nadda to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Smriti Irani were deployed in the 20 poll-bound Assembly segments in the State.

Nadda addressed the “Vijay Sankalp” rally in the Masturi Assembly segment, reiterating his party’s pitch for a “double engine” government and hitting out at the ruling Congress, saying re-electing them would mean “guarantee of loot”. Irani participated in the party’s bike rally in Bastar and was also seen preparing tea for party workers in Kondagaon, Bastar, as the last-minute outreach to the voters. Addressing a public meeting in the Konta Assembly constituency, Mr. Adityanath blamed the Congress for roping in the Naxals to kill BJP worker Ratan Dubey.

Meanwhile, leaders of the ruling Congress too held public meetings at different places across Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel addressed a public meeting in Rajnandgaon, while PCC president Deepak Baij held such meetings at different locations in the Bastar region.

ALSO READ-CPI-M Shuns Congress, Goes Solo in Telangana Polls

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Stretching the limits to pave a road

As the cost escalated with the passage of time, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways revised the budget to Rs 125.23 crore on January 19, against the initial budget of Rs 54.25 crore…reports Asian Lite News

This is Anil Kumar Yadav’s first work stint in Chhattisgarh. A resident of Prayagraj, he has been engaged as the site engineer on a sensitive 5-km stretch that forms part of the 39.4 km Palli-Barsur Marg connecting Maoist-hit Narayanpur and Dantewada districts of the state. Work on this last stretch in Orchha block of Narayanpur district started around 2020 and is finally nearing completion, expecting to open to the public by the year-end.

“I was employed in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, for a few years. But this area is very different. Working here without protection is impossible. Sometimes, I feel apprehensive, but nothing can be done about it,” Yadav said on a cloudy afternoon.

Interior areas of these districts have no proper roads due to left-wing extremism and Palli-Barsur Marg is a case in point. The nearly 40-km road was approved for construction by the Centre back in 2010 and had suffered multiple setbacks over the decade.

According to Yadav, a B.Tech degree holder, many workers scoot after a few days or just refuse to come. It is one of the reasons behind the sluggish pace. “Whoever comes here joins after a lot of deliberation. Local workers also refuse to stay at CRPF camps for fear of reprisal.”

Yet, it’s only the presence of CRPF camps that makes construction possible. There are six CRPF camps along the 39.4-km-stretch of the Palli-Barsur Marg. Yadav, who has been hired on a contract basis, resides in one of them. “Construction is possible only for six hours every day as the road opening party is present here only for this duration. Even now, no one comes here, but before work commenced, there was not a soul to be seen,” he said.

Failure to start

Madhu Kumar Bhourya, Sub-divisional Officer at the Public Works Department (PWD) of Dantewada district, informed that though work could not be carried out earlier due to Maoist disturbance, the government is consistently working towards increasing accessibility in rural areas of Bastar sub-division through roads and bridges.

The Palli-Barsur Marg plan was sanctioned in 2010, but work started only five years later after the security camps were set up to ensure the safety of workers. According to Bhourya, only a few metres could be completed in a month due to security issues.

The entire project faced hiccups from the first go. The first tender call happened in 2010-11 and 2011-12 for the entire 39.4 km stretch. The second tender call took place in 2012-13, when the stretch was split into six parts for convenience. The third tender call was in 2014-15, with the stretch divided into 14 parts. Each time, there were no takers. It was dissected again to create 19 parts in February 2014. The fourth tender call for the same was made in July 2014, with four companies bagging tenders.

As the cost escalated with the passage of time, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways revised the budget to Rs 125.23 crore on January 19, against the initial budget of Rs 54.25 crore.

“Tender was opened four times, but nobody participated in the process out of fear. However, when the stretch was divided into 19 parts, several agencies showed interest. The district reserve wing of the state police and CRPF are extending protection, yet it is a challenging task,” Bhourya, who has been posted in Dantewada since 2016, added.

Bhourya admitted that there have been a few casualties here. “Our department used to carry out monitoring of this stretch located in Narayanpur from Dantewada district. But we faced problems in travelling a vast distance, and that is why 18.40 km of the total 39.4 km was handed over to Narayanpur and 21 km was kept for Dantewada.”

Under the shadow of protection

As the car sped on, the CRPF 195 battalion camp at Bodli in Bastar came into view. Moving forward, construction materials were seen dumped at Narayanpur. These are the chips of granite and limestone supplied from Dantewada and Narayanpur districts. The laying of the black bituminous layer on the surface is the final step in road construction.

Men were found working at the location where Yadav is in charge. Satyendra Kumar Chauhan, who is also from Uttar Pradesh, said a CRPF camp just 200m away is the reason why most workers agreed to be in the location. “Some jawans also come from Malewahi camp as well. Sometimes, work stops abruptly due to heavy rainfall,” said the JCB machine operator, who has been working here for two months.

The construction site in Narayanpur is a dangerous spot. But if connected by road, commuters could use this stretch to reach Barsur and Geedam in Dantewada, as well as Bijapur, with the distance reduced by 100 km. “It is a Maoist-hit area. But work is important for livelihood and so being afraid always does not help,” Chauhan added.

At the last point on this 39.4-km-stretch lies Kanhargaon in Narayanpur. Here, the road work was completed last year, and the residents, mostly farmers, have welcomed it.

“It was a morrum road before, and we faced difficulty in travelling. The Maoist influence has also softened down due to security forces. There is a CRPF camp just three km away,” said Kalawati Netam, a Gond Adivasi.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Siddharth Tiwari said Maoists had earlier targeted not just the police, but also civilians in the stretch where work was on. “It is a road of strategic importance, connecting the Southern Bastar region with north and central Chhattisgarh, which will also reduce the distance considerably. It will provide a faster alternative route to the people travelling from southern India.”

“It is a great feeling to see the road almost complete,” said Ramuram Mandavi, a resident of Erpund gram panchayat in Lohaniguda block of Bastar district. Earlier, people had to travel by foot in this forested area, but cars and bikes can go now.

As the work progressed on the five-km-stretch, many villagers were amazed to see a bituminous road for the first time ever with the sense of connectivity set to sink in.

ALSO READ-In Rajasthan, family planning is a one-way street

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Smokeless ‘chulhas’ help Bijapur villagers save forests

By Sameer Showkin Lone

In this Chhattisgarh district known for its dense forests, tribal villagers are embracing an innovative and cost-effective technique to burn less firewood while cooking.

In Bijapur, a severely Naxal-affected district in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, a silent revolution is taking place, entirely driven by the villagers. Locals in the area have decided to move from traditional chulhas (stoves) to smokeless ones in a bid to save their green cover.

The movement, started by a single villager, gained the sanction of residents in a dozen villages, and today, over 1,980 smokeless chulhas (clay stoves) have been successfully set up in households, and 166 smokeless chulhas function in schools and anganwadis (rural child care centres).

The initiative not only cuts down the need for firewood but also reduces indoor air pollution, thus improving the health of the women using these stoves.

The beginning of a transition

The Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh is spread over more than 6,500 square kilometres, a majority of which is either dense or open forest. Of the 2.5 lakh people who live in the district, 85 per cent comprise indigenous tribal, forest-dwellers whose survival is solely dependent on the forests.

The tribes earn their livelihood by collecting and selling minor forest produce like chironji, tendu patta, mahua, tora, tamarind etc.

“The locals of Bijapur cut timber from the forests and use it as firewood in chulhas. This is used to cook food, boil water and meet other household needs. But as more and more timber was used for firewood, the depleting trees began to concern villagers and a few officials.

“The amount of firewood consumption has increased over the years, which is a worrying trend,” said a district official who wished to remain anonymous.

The PM Ujjwala Yojana, which was set up to distribute LPG cylinders to Below Poverty Line families, has been slow to pick up in Bijapur. Out of the 48,000 eligible households, only 25 per cent have been covered under this scheme.

However, the lack of motorable roads makes it logistically challenging to bring the rest of the deserving households under the scheme. Refuelling of the cylinders is a huge problem when people have to travel dozens of kilometres on bad or no roads to reach ration shops and cylinder distributors.

Anil Kawre, a local who has been a part of several programmes with the Department of Health, recalls how the idea of smokeless chulhas came about.

“When we saw the depleting forests, we thought of starting something so that the load on the forests is reduced. We know the locals heavily rely on forest wood to be used as firewood in chulhas, but we thought we have to find a way to minimise the input of firewood and maximise the output,” he said.

Kawre learnt about the smokeless chulha a few years back, through the Phulwari scheme launched by the Chhattisgarh Health Department to battle malnutrition in children and reduce indoor air pollution.

The smoke released in traditional stoves was causing many ailments like asthma, pneumonia, cancer, chronic restrictive lung disease and other respiratory health issues. In fact, indoor air pollution has been termed as the silent killer of the rural kitchen.

While the Phulwari scheme is inactive now, the memory of the smokeless chulha stayed with Kawre, who had also been part of the project.

He began talking to the women in his village, telling them about the smokeless chulha and its many benefits. Many women were keen to make the shift from traditional chulhas and readily agreed.

Smokeless chulhas were introduced in their homes and as the word spread, more and more women came forward to make the shift.

The smokeless chulha and its benefits

The smokeless chulha is built using bricks, an iron rod and a pipe for the outflow of smoke. According to a report by Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences & Technology Trust, the smokeless chulha uses up to 50 per cent less firewood than the traditional chulha. It is designed to continuously supply adequate oxygen, thus enabling efficient combustion. This results in up to 80 per cent less smoke production. In addition, since the smokeless chulha has a double mouth, you can cook two items at once.

Kawre explained, “It costs around Rs 300 to set up a smokeless chulha. It reduces cooking time by 50 per cent. It will take you 45 minutes to cook on a smokeless chulha while on a traditional chulha (an open-air structure of mud or stones with a single mouth), the same meal can take one and a half hours to cook.”

But the most important benefit is the reduction in firewood requirement, feel the villagers. “A person doesn’t need to go to the forest every other day to collect firewood. The amount of wood needed has reduced,” said Surti Netam, a local.

Kawre added that the felling of trees has reduced. “The tribals cut down forest trees mainly to use as firewood. They don’t use it for commercial purposes. So this has definitely come down,” he said.

According to a report by Ramkrishna Muley, Chairman of Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences & Technology Trust, Bengaluru, “A rural household uses up to 3,000 kg of firewood per annum. The average cost of firewood is Rs 2 per kg. Since the improved smokeless chulha uses 50 per cent less firewood, a rural household using this chulha will save 1,500 kg for firewood in a year.”

Muley in his report further states that a pilot exercise demonstrated that saving 1,500 kg of firewood meant the saving of at least three full-grown trees.

(The author is a Bijapur-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

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Chhattisgarh farmers wake up and smell the lemongrass

In 2019, Shah visited the Raipur Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya at Raipur and learnt about the cultivation of lemongrass – an aromatic plant whose Indian variety is scientifically known as Cymbopogan flexuosus…reports Sameer Showkin Lone.

Bhawani Pal Shah was among the first graduates in his remote village in Chattisgarh. He passed out in 2000 – the year the state was formed – and went looking for greener pastures in Rajasthan. After fifteen years of working in an agri firm there, he decided to return to his village, Gudma in Bijapur district, and take up farming. This was a better alternative, he thought, to sweating it out in the desert state. Besides, at his job, he had learnt about modern farming techniques for better yields that could be practised at his farm.

Shah faced little success with paddy, which is predominantly grown in the state, as it requires a lot of water. So it could only be cultivated during the Kharif season at the onset of the monsoon. However, not one to throw in the towel, he started to look out for other crops that would provide better outputs and income.

Herbal farming in Chhattisgarh: Gulbakawali (Wikipedia)

In 2019, Shah visited the Raipur Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya at Raipur and learnt about the cultivation of lemongrass – an aromatic plant whose Indian variety is scientifically known as Cymbopogan flexuosus. Lemongrass is used in soaps and detergents, perfumes, beverages and incense sticks. According to the National Horticulture Board, the oil’s strong lemon-like odour is also used in insect repellents. Lemongrass oil fetches around Rs 1,550 per litre.

“The oil and leaves of lemongrass are also used for medicinal purpose. It reduces inflammation, blood sugar, convulsions, pains and joint aches etc,” said Dr Arun Sakni, a senior scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bijapur, leading the government’s effort to encourage lemongrass cultivation in Bijapur.

“I took a few hundred saplings and grew it on my half acre land and was delighted with the results. This year I am going to sow lemongrass on three acres of land,” Shah said.

The only thing lacking is a solar pump for irrigation purpose. “I am hopeful the district Agriculture Department will sanction it,” he said.

J-K villagers cultivate lemongrass to drive away monkeys, utilise barren land. (ANI)

Shah, who extracted 7 kilograms of lemongrass through a self-made processing unit, said, “We can get a processing unit sanctioned by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) if more than 10 acres of land or more than 10 farmers are into lemongrass cultivation in my area. I am trying to convince farmers,” he said. He has been encouraging villagers by apprising them of line sowing, transplantation and other modern techniques to get more yield. CIMAP has appreciated Shah’s leadership efforts.

Dr Sakni said that they are planning to form a group of interested farmers to promote lemongrass farming in the district and Shah would act as a master trainer and motivator. “With 80 per cent of the area covered by forests, lemongrass can be a great change-maker in the lives of people who are mostly tribals. It doesn’t need much water nor hard labour. Just a spray of water to keep the soil moist. And once planted, its sapling regenerates thrice in a year,” he said.

Replicating the success of neighbours

Bijapur was carved out of Dantewada district which was a part of Bastar district – a region plagued by Naxalism. In addition to the hostile weather, farmers here also have to contend with the challenges posed by Naxals where their diktats extend even to the area of cultivation.

In a bid to wean away jobless youth from taking to violence in the Naxal-infested region, the CIMAP provided training to youth to cultivate lemongrass and oil extractors. The initiative was taken under the direction of the central government’s ‘Aroma Mission’, launched by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

In Kondagoan district, some 200 kilometres from Bijapur, lemongrass farming has seen a steep increase. The CIMAP has set up three processing units in the Malegaon area of Kondagoan.

Shah’s friend, Mohan Ram Netam, a farmer in Malegaon village said, “It is much profitable than paddy. One acre of lemongrass cultivation fetches between Rs 40,000-45,000.” He said the rates keep varying between Rs 1300 to Rs 2000. “Last year we sold at Rs 1,500 per kg and this year at Rs 1,375.” At present, there are 25-30 farmers in Malegaon who are now dedicated lemongrass farmers, said Netam.

“One sapling reproduces some 100 saplings. The process continues thrice a year. In some cases, the saplings keep reproducing for two to three years depending upon the soil fertility. Though our land is suitable for lemongrass, we also planted Mentha grass which is another variety of aromatic plant,” he said.

Another 100 kilometres towards the north of Kondagoan lies Dhamtari, a district in Central Chhattisgarh. Lemongrass farming in this district has reached the next level with the support of the district administration. The Zila Panchayat has promoted a Self Help Group (SHG) – Jai Bhawani – to cultivate lemongrass. It extracted 15 quintals of lemongrass from 3 acres of land fetching an income of Rs 50,000.

Lemongrass at a market (Wikipedia)

Three acres of wasteland in Gram Panchayat Bhatgaon were turned into a cultivable land with the help of MGNREGA using the convergence model between Departments of Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency, Horticulture and MGNREGA, according to a District Panchayat Program Officer.

Once the administration is able to get lemongrass cultivation off the ground, the next issue they would need to tackle is marketing. Already, farmers like Netam are finding this problematic. “With no government support, we have to sell it to private contractors who often short charge us,” he said.

(The author is a Bijapur-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters)

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