Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government announced that it will celebrate Mati Poojan Diwas on Akshay Tritiya, which will be observed on May 3rd this year. According to the government, the aim of organising the first-of-its-kind festival is to promote “the use of cow urine and other organic materials on a large scale in place of chemical fertilisers and pesticides for the rejuvenation of soil fertility.”
A circular was issued by the agriculture department to collectors and commissioners across the state. The government said it will organise programmes at the gram panchayat, janpad panchayat, and district panchayat levels as well as on the state level in Raipur to celebrate Mati Poojan Diwas. According to the circular, the event is to be celebrated as a “Maha-Abhiyan to promote the participation of farmers and public towards natural farming”.
“Various activities will be held to celebrate the day, including encouraging the use of vermicompost, cow urine, and organic fertilisers in place of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, spreading awareness about the harm caused by chemical farming, freeing human and animal food from harmful chemicals,” added the circular. An oath to protect the Earth will also be taken and a message from the chief minister will be read out at the event, in presence of government functionaries, self-help groups and Gothan committees.
Sources in the government said the event has been planned to create positive messaging around the Godhan Nyay Yojana—one of the flagship schemes of the Congress government in the state. Under the Godhan Nyay Yojana farmers sell cow dung at the price of Rs 2 per kilogram. The cow dung is then used to create vermicompost among other things, which is then sold to farmers to use instead of chemical fertilisers.