Evaluating Farmer Income Enhancement Through the Godhan Nyay Yojana: A Village-Level Study from Sarkhor, Baloda Bazar District, Chhattisgarh

Abstract: Rural communities in Chhattisgarh, India, have historically depended on agriculture and allied livestock activities for sustenance, yet persistent income insufficiency, inadequate infrastructure, and structural unemployment have kept millions below the poverty threshold. Against this backdrop, the Chhattisgarh state government launched the Godhan Nyay Yojana (GNY) on 20 July 2020 — a pioneering welfare programme that procures bovine dung from cattle keepers at a government-fixed price of ₹2 per kilogram and converts it into vermicompost through Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs). The present study examines the tangible income benefits accruing to a selected cohort of 91 registered farming beneficiaries in Sarkhor village, Baloda Bazar–Bhatapara district. Using structured field interviews and primary data collected from Gothan records, the research documents a cumulative cow-dung procurement volume of 92,849.76 kg and a total disbursement of ₹1,85,699.52 across 32 active cow-dung vendors. The findings confirm that the programme has (a) generated a meaningful supplementary income stream for smallholder and marginal farmers, (b) curtailed open grazing and associated road hazards, (c) empowered rural women through participatory production roles, and (d) fostered a shift from synthetic to organic fertilisation. The study concludes that the GNY model offers a replicable framework for holistic rural livelihood enhancement with strong scalability potential.

Keywords: Godhan Nyay Yojana, bovine-dung procurement, vermicompost, Women Self-Help Groups, rural income, Chhattisgarh.