Women from a self-help group in Raipur are creating earthen lamps and flower pots among other items using cow dung provided under the Chhattisgarh state government's Godhan Nyay Yojana.
The Raipur Municipal Corporation is providing assistance to the initiative to provide employment to women from rural areas.
"Under the Godhan NYAY scheme, 10 groups have formed a Govardhan self-help group. We first started making vermicompost fertiliser. Later, the government provided us work for making diyas (earthen lamps), gamla (vases) and kanda (cow dung cake). All women are working properly. We are hoping that we will get some money. All expenses are being provided by Municipal Corporation," Chitralekha Saahu, secretary of the self-help group told .
Pramod Jadhav, nodal officer of the scheme at Zone no. 8 said that stalls are being set up where women will sell these products.
"We are making 400-500 kg vermicompost. Women group have made 17,000-18,000 diyas and we are sending it to market. Cow dung cakes are also being prepared for use in cremation sites. By selling all these, we can provide financial assistance to women. We are getting orders from departments and public representatives for these products," he said.
Aijaz Dhebar, Mayor, Raipur Municipal Corporation said that this is a unique initiative to promote lamps made out of cow dung.
"This will be the first-time women are being provided with employment. I want to congratulate Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who positioned cow dung as a big product. People are starting their business from cow dung. We will continue this so that business will continue and they will be able to earn a little more if they sell it here directly and avoid middlemen. We are also setting up stalls where they can sell these products," he said.
On July 20 this year, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the Godhan Nyay Yojana in Raipur on Monday on the occasion of 'Hareli' festival.Under the scheme, the government procures cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram from livestock owners and use it to prepare orgc fertilizers.
( With inputs from ANI )
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