Raipur, 13 June 2024//

After the end of the model code of conduct, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai initiated a series of department-wise review meetings to expedite development across the state, starting on Thursday. These meetings were held at the Chief Minister’s residence office. He began by reviewing the activities of the Agriculture Department and its allied sectors, sharing valuable insights from his extensive farming experience. The Chief Minister engaged with senior officials from various departments to assess the current status of ongoing projects and welfare schemes. He emphasised the necessity of working with full transparency and promptness to achieve good results.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai directed officials to take steps to motivate farmers to enhance their productivity. He emphasised the importance of providing timely assistance for traditional farming. He also instructed the officials to educate farmers about modern farming techniques and innovations. He highlighted the necessity of increasing the income of farmers, livestock farmers, and milk producers. Drawing from his own experiences, Sai instructed the officials to take measures to prevent animal diseases during the rainy season. He reviewed the activities of the Animal Husbandry Department, the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Dairy Federation, and the Fisheries Department. He stated that businesses such as animal husbandry, fisheries, and milk production are significant sources of income for farmers and livestock farmers. Effective implementation of related schemes would boost farmers’ incomes. During the review of the Animal Husbandry Department, Chief Minister Sai announced the establishment of a cow sanctuary in one district of each division in the state to protect and conserve the cow population.

Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department provided information on total livestock numbers and the annual production and availability of milk, eggs, and meat to Chief Minister Sai. He emphasised the need for widespread vaccination to protect animals from infectious diseases during the rainy season. He also stressed the importance of effectively implementing schemes aimed at improving animal breeds. Additionally, he directed the officials to take measures to maximise the benefits of state and centrally-sponsored schemes for livestock farmers. The Animal Husbandry Department officials provided detailed information about their upcoming action plans and targets to the Chief Minister.

While reviewing the work of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Dairy Federation, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai emphasised the need for measures to boost the sales of milk and milk products and to increase the income of milk-producing farmers. He directed officials to expand the number of outlets and to commission a detailed study by the Indian Institute of Management to explore additional options for enhancing the sales and income of the Devbhog brand. He also stressed the importance of adopting effective marketing and branding strategies. During the meeting, officials provided a detailed process flow chart outlining the entire journey of milk, from collection to consumer delivery. Subsequently, the Chief Minister reviewed departmental work and schemes with officials from the Fisheries Department. He emphasised the need to widely publicise schemes for promoting fisheries and to provide information and training to rural farmers. Sharing his observations, Sai stated that many government-constructed ponds become unusable as they dry up in summer. He suggested identifying such farmers and arranging for solar pumps to ensure water supply, enabling year-round fish farming. Additionally, he instructed officials to promote innovative fish production methods like cage culture and bio-floc technology and to provide training for farmers in these techniques.

Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, Agriculture Production Commissioner Smt. Shahla Nagar, Chief Minister’s Secretaries Shri P. Dayanand, Dr. Basavaraju S. and Shri Rahul Bhagat, Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Priyanka Shukla, along with other concerned officials were present.