Chhattisgarh: Police registers theft complaint as 800 kg cow dung gets stolen

In a surprising incident, Chhattisgarh police on Sunday informed that 800 kg of cow dung worth Rs 1,600 was stolen from Dhurena village of Chattisgarh's Korba district. The incident came into light after a complaint was filed by Kamhan Singh Kanwar, the head of village gauthan samiti on June 15. According to the police, the cow dung was stolen on the intervening night of June 8 and June 9.

A case has been filed against unidentified persons, reported ANI. 

"8 quintal cow dung worth Rs 1,600 has been stolen. a case against unidentified persons was lodged on June 15," informed Assistant sub-inspector Suresh Kuma of the Dipka Police station. 

The matter is highly significant for the people of the village as Cow dung has been their source of income. The animal dung became of high value in Chhattisgarh after the state government announced that it would purchase it at about Rs 2 per kilogram under the 'Godhan Nyay Yojna' scheme for the production of vermicompost at gauthans. People of Dhurena village informed that they have been collecting cow dung in exchange for some money since the scheme was announced.

Godhan Nyay Yojna

The scheme was announced on 21st July 2020, on the occasion of Hareli, the first festival of the state, by the Chhattisgarh government led by Bhupesh Baghel. This scheme aims at boosting the rural economy by procuring cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram from farmers and cattle rearers initially in the rural area later in the urban area too. Congress too had tried to use this scheme during the 2019 General election by adding it in the manifesto where it planned direct cash transfer into the bank account of the poorest and weaker section of our nation that constitutes around 20 per cent of the total population. 

After Bhupesh Baghel won the elections and was elected as the Chief Minister, he decided to implement a welfare scheme named ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’ though in a slightly different mode. For now, the procurement is done in Gouthan but the Government has planned to include every village panchayat and every village under the scheme.

(With agency inputs)