Chhattisgarh Roka Chheka Abhiyan in All Villages

Chhattisgarh government has launched the Roka-Chheka Abhiyan in all villages in the state. In this CG Roka Chekka Campaign, govt. seeks to revive traditional agricultural methods and to save Kharif crops from open grazing by stray cattle. Roka-Chekka also aims to make use of organic manure by collecting cow dung from cowsheds.

Roka-Chheka is one of the popular traditional agricultural methods of Chhattisgarh. The state govt. has decided to make this method more organised and effective from the current year. The CG Rokka Chekka Abhiyan aims to ban the open grazing of stray cattle after the sowing season is over.

The state government of Chhattisgarh has appealed to all sarpanches to ensure that their cattle remain in cowsheds when the ban on open grazing is in force.

The Chhattisgarh state govt. has started Rokka Chekka Abhiyan 2020 to ensure that no cattle grazes in an open agricultural field. CG govt. is aware that many villages in the states does not have cowsheds and cattle owners are likely to face major difficulties due to ban on grazing to save Kharif crops. The CG state government has come to the cattle owners rescue and is building 5,000 cowsheds across the state under the Suraaji Gaon Yojana. The state govt. has already constructed 2,200 cowsheds and the work is in progress for another 2,800 cowsheds.

An order has already been issued which stated that if any cattle is found to be loitering in any civic area, then municipal commissioner/chief municipal officer will be held responsible. Chhattisgarh Roka-Chheka Abhiyan will also ensure to use organic manure by collecting cow dung from cowsheds.

CG govt. is creating new employment opportunities by building the cowsheds. Women self-help groups (SHGs) have been included in this programme. Members of SHGs will make goods and artifacts using cow dung which will enable them to get an additional profit. The new products includes diyas (or lamps), incense sticks made by women SHGs using cow dung.

The products made from cow dung were well received and did brisk business during the Diwali season in Delhi in FY 2019. The state govt. has also generated employment for around 25 lakh villagers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Rural Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This achievement is accomplished amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) induced nationwide lockdown restrictions.