Chhattisgarh
Agriculture and Irrigation
Agricultural Schemes in Chhattisgarh
Krishak Unnati Yojana, landless-labourer aid, Saur Sujala, Millet Mission, the earlier Nyay schemes and central farm schemes in Chhattisgarh for CGPSC.
Prerequisites
- Rice Bowl of India: Cropping Pattern: paddy procurement and the diversification problem these schemes address
- Irrigation Projects of Chhattisgarh: why solar pumps and water harvesting matter
- Agricultural Economy of India: MSP, input subsidies and income support nationally
The Hook: The Price of a Promise
Connect
In March 2024, lakhs of Chhattisgarh farmers received a bank credit labelled “Krishak Unnati Yojana”: the difference between the Central MSP and ₹3,100 for every quintal of paddy they had sold. Four years earlier, a different government had paid them under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. Names change with governments; the idea of per-acre input assistance on top of MSP has stayed.
Which schemes support Chhattisgarh’s farmers, what does each one do, and are they sustainable?
Why it matters: Prelims asks launch dates, amounts, implementing agencies and the slogan “Narwa, Garwa, Ghurwa, Bari”. Mains GS-III asks you to evaluate income support, crop diversification and fiscal sustainability. Because schemes change, always attach a year.
Current State Schemes (as of 2026)
Krishak Unnati Yojana (कृषक उन्नति योजना)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launched | 12 March 2024 (first payout, for kharif 2023 paddy) |
| Core idea | Farmers who sell paddy at MSP get the difference up to ₹3,100 per quintal as input assistance (आदान सहायता), for up to 21 quintals per acre |
| Example (kharif 2023) | Common-paddy MSP ₹2,183; difference ₹917 × 21 quintals = ₹19,257 per acre |
| Extension (kharif 2025) | Farmers registered for paddy in kharif 2024 who switch to pulses, oilseeds or maize in kharif 2025 also get input assistance (₹10,000 per acre announced); the state has announced a higher rate for crop-shifting farmers from kharif 2026 |
| Purpose | Income support and crop diversification away from paddy |
How ₹3,100 is reached
The farmer receives the Central MSP when the paddy is bought at the procurement centre, and the state transfers the difference later as input assistance. So “₹3,100” is the effective price, not the MSP.
Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Kalyan Yojana (दीनदयाल उपाध्याय भूमिहीन कृषि मजदूर कल्याण योजना)
- Launched: 20 January 2025, Raipur, by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
- Benefit: ₹10,000 a year to rural landless agricultural labourer families.
- Coverage: about 5.62 lakh beneficiaries at launch, including traditional village functionaries such as Baiga and Gunia (traditional healers and priests).
- Predecessor: the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana, which paid ₹7,000 a year.
Saur Sujala Yojana (सौर सुजला योजना)
- Started: 1 November 2016 (Rajyotsava).
- What: solar-powered irrigation pumps of 3 HP and 5 HP (2 HP in some cases) at a heavy subsidy, so the farmer pays a small share of the cost.
- Implementing agency: CREDA, the Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency.
- Why it matters: brings irrigation to fields far from the power grid, especially in tribal and forest areas, without a power bill.
Chhattisgarh Millet Mission (मिलेट मिशन)
- Launched: 2021, with technical support from the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad.
- Crops: kodo, kutki and ragi.
- Support: input assistance of ₹9,000 per hectare for millet growers (under the then Nyay scheme), state support prices for kodo, kutki and ragi, seed banks and processing units, focused on 85 blocks in 20 districts at launch.
Other state support
- Interest-free short-term crop loans through cooperative societies.
- Krishak Jeevan Jyoti Yojana: free or subsidised electricity for farmers’ irrigation pumps, within a unit limit.
- Paddy procurement by cooperative societies through MARKFED (see the cropping pattern page).
Earlier State Schemes (2018–2023 Government)
These were flagship schemes of the previous government. Some were renamed, merged or wound down after the change of government in December 2023, but they are still asked about and are useful examples in Mains.
| Scheme | Launched | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Farm loan waiver | December 2018 | Waiver of short-term crop loans; the new government’s first major decision |
| Suraji Gaon Yojana: Narwa, Garwa, Ghurwa, Bari (नरवा, गरवा, घुरवा, बारी) | 2019 | Rural revival through four “identities” of the village: narwa (streams; water harvesting), garwa (cattle; gauthans, or day-care sheds), ghurwa (compost pits) and bari (kitchen gardens) |
| Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana | 21 May 2020 (Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary) | Per-acre input subsidy, at launch ₹10,000 per acre for paddy, maize and sugarcane growers, paid in instalments |
| Godhan Nyay Yojana (गोधन न्याय योजना) | 20 July 2020, on Hareli | State bought cow dung at ₹2 per kg from cattle owners; women’s self-help groups made vermicompost in gauthans |
| Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana | 2021–22 | Annual aid to landless rural labourers (₹6,000, later ₹7,000) |
The slogan
“छत्तीसगढ़ के चार चिन्हारी, नरवा गरवा घुरवा बारी, एला बचाना हे संगवारी”: “Chhattisgarh’s four identities are the stream, the cattle, the compost pit and the kitchen garden; friends, we must save them.” This was the slogan of the Suraji Gaon Yojana.
Central Schemes in Chhattisgarh
| Scheme | Year | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| PM-KISAN | 2019 | ₹6,000 a year in three instalments to landholding farmer families |
| Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) | 2016 | Crop insurance; farmer premium 2% (kharif), 1.5% (rabi), 5% (commercial and horticultural crops) |
| Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) | 2015 | “Har Khet Ko Pani”, “Per Drop More Crop”: irrigation and micro-irrigation |
| Soil Health Card | 2015 | Soil testing and nutrient advice |
| e-NAM | 2016 | Online national agricultural market |
| PM-KUSUM | 2019 | Solar pumps and solarising farm feeders (complements Saur Sujala) |
Analysis: Are These Schemes Working? (Mains material)
Gains
- Income security: the effective ₹3,100 price and per-acre transfers have raised farm incomes and procurement volumes.
- Direct Benefit Transfer reduces leakage compared with price support alone.
- Diversification signals: paying farmers to switch to pulses, oilseeds, maize and millets addresses the paddy mono-crop problem.
- Inclusion: landless labourers, who gain nothing from a paddy price, now get direct annual support.
- Solar pumps give tribal and off-grid farmers irrigation without power bills.
Concerns
- Fiscal cost: paddy price support and transfers take a large share of the state budget; surplus paddy beyond central-pool needs is costly to store and sell.
- Paddy bias: a high paddy price can undercut the diversification incentive.
- Tenants and sharecroppers often miss out because benefits follow land records.
- Policy churn: schemes are renamed or redesigned with each change of government, which unsettles farmers’ planning.
- Groundwater: cheap or free power and solar pumps can drive over-extraction if not metered or planned.
Way forward: tie support to crop diversification and soil health; build millet and pulse procurement and processing; include tenants through tenancy records; keep water use sustainable; evaluate schemes by outcomes, not payout volume.
Memory Tricks
Dates in order: 16-18-19-20-21-24-25
2016 Saur Sujala → 2018 loan waiver → 2019 Narwa-Garwa-Ghurwa-Bari, PM-KISAN → 2020 Kisan Nyay (21 May), Godhan Nyay (20 July, Hareli) → 2021 Millet Mission → 2024 Krishak Unnati (12 March) → 2025 landless-labourer scheme (20 January).
Three tens
₹10,000 turns up three times: Kisan Nyay per acre (2020), the landless-labourer scheme per year (2025), and Krishak Unnati’s crop-shift aid per acre (kharif 2025). Know which is “per acre” and which is “per year”.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Krishak Unnati Yojana (2024): difference up to ₹3,100/quintal | Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana (2020): flat per-acre input subsidy | |
| Godhan Nyay (20 July 2020, Hareli): cow dung at ₹2/kg | Kisan Nyay (21 May 2020): crop input subsidy | |
| Saur Sujala (state, 2016, CREDA) | PM-KUSUM (central, 2019) | |
| Deendayal Upadhyay scheme: ₹10,000/year (2025) | Rajiv Gandhi Bhumihin scheme: ₹7,000/year (earlier) | |
| Narwa = stream; Garwa = cattle | Ghurwa = compost pit; Bari = kitchen garden |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: ₹3,100 as the MSP
The MSP is set by the Union government and is lower. ₹3,100 is the state’s effective price: MSP plus input assistance under the Krishak Unnati Yojana.
Trap 2: Godhan Nyay launch day
Godhan Nyay began on Hareli (20 July 2020), the festival of farm implements and cattle, not on Rajyotsava or Pola. Kisan Nyay began on 21 May 2020.
Trap 3: Saur Sujala is a central scheme
Saur Sujala is a Chhattisgarh state scheme run by CREDA (2016). The central solar-pump scheme is PM-KUSUM.
Trap 4: Timeless scheme facts
Amounts, names and eligibility change. Write “as of 2025-26” with any figure in Mains, and check current affairs before the exam.
Practice
These are original practice questions in CGPSC style, not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Godhan Nyay Yojana was launched on the festival of ________ in 2020.
- Saur Sujala Yojana is implemented by ________.
- Under the Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Kalyan Yojana, a beneficiary family receives ________ a year.
Answers
- Hareli (20 July 2020)
- CREDA (Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency)
- ₹10,000
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Krishak Unnati Yojana of Chhattisgarh:
- It was launched in March 2024.
- It raises the Central MSP for paddy in Chhattisgarh to ₹3,100 per quintal.
- In kharif 2025 it was extended to farmers who shifted from paddy to pulses, oilseeds or maize.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 3 only. The scheme was launched on 12 March 2024 and extended in 2025 to crop-shifting farmers. It does not change the Central MSP: the state pays the difference up to ₹3,100 per quintal as input assistance, so statement 2 is wrong.
Q2. Match List-I (Word in the Suraji Gaon slogan) with List-II (Meaning):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Narwa | 1. Kitchen garden |
| B. Garwa | 2. Compost pit |
| C. Ghurwa | 3. Stream |
| D. Bari | 4. Cattle |
(a) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1 (b) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 (c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (d) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
Answer and explanation
(a) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1. Narwa (नरवा) is a stream, garwa (गरवा) is cattle, ghurwa (घुरवा) is a compost pit and bari (बारी) is a kitchen garden. Together they were the “four identities” of the village in the 2019 Suraji Gaon Yojana.
Q3. Under the Godhan Nyay Yojana, the Chhattisgarh government purchased cow dung at the rate of:
(a) ₹1 per kg (b) ₹2 per kg (c) ₹5 per kg (d) ₹10 per kg
Answer and explanation
(b) ₹2 per kg. The scheme began on Hareli, 20 July 2020. Dung bought at gauthans was turned into vermicompost by women’s self-help groups.
Q4. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
- Saur Sujala Yojana : Solar irrigation pumps
- Chhattisgarh Millet Mission : Kodo, kutki and ragi
- Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana : Launched on 1 November 2016
Select the correct answer using the code below:
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 2 only. Saur Sujala (from 1 November 2016) provides subsidised solar pumps, and the Millet Mission (2021) promotes kodo, kutki and ragi. The Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana was launched on 21 May 2020, so pair 3 is wrong; 1 November 2016 is the start of Saur Sujala.
Q5. The Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Kalyan Yojana was launched in:
(a) November 2023 (b) March 2024 (c) January 2025 (d) November 2025
Answer and explanation
(c) January 2025. CM Vishnu Deo Sai launched it in Raipur on 20 January 2025, giving ₹10,000 a year to landless agricultural labourer families. March 2024 is the Krishak Unnati Yojana launch, a common distractor.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Explain the working of the Krishak Unnati Yojana. (60 words)
Model answer outline
- Launched 12 March 2024 by the Chhattisgarh government.
- Paddy is bought at the Central MSP, up to 21 quintals per acre; the state pays the difference up to ₹3,100 per quintal as input assistance through DBT (₹19,257 per acre for kharif 2023).
- Extended in 2025 to farmers shifting from paddy to pulses, oilseeds and maize.
- Aims: farm income and crop diversification.
Q2. Critically evaluate direct income-support schemes for farmers in Chhattisgarh since 2018. (150–200 words)
Model answer outline
Intro: Since 2018 Chhattisgarh has relied on per-acre input assistance on top of MSP: the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana (2020), then the Krishak Unnati Yojana (2024), alongside central PM-KISAN.
Positives:
- Higher, assured income; procurement reached about 141 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 (as reported).
- DBT reduces leakage.
- Landless labourers covered (₹10,000 a year from 2025).
- Diversification incentives for pulses, oilseeds, maize and millets.
Concerns:
- Large fiscal burden and surplus paddy stocks.
- A paddy-linked payout can entrench mono-cropping.
- Tenants and sharecroppers excluded by land-record-based targeting.
- Policy churn with changes of government.
Suggestions: link support to diversification, soil health and water saving; procure millets and pulses; register tenants; independent outcome evaluation.
Conclusion: Income support has stabilised farm livelihoods; making it crop-neutral and outcome-linked will make it sustainable.
Quick Revision Table
| Scheme | Date | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Saur Sujala | 1 Nov 2016 | Solar pumps (3/5 HP), CREDA |
| Farm loan waiver | Dec 2018 | Short-term crop loans |
| Narwa-Garwa-Ghurwa-Bari (Suraji Gaon) | 2019 | Stream, cattle, compost pit, kitchen garden |
| Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay | 21 May 2020 | Per-acre input subsidy (₹10,000/acre at launch) |
| Godhan Nyay | 20 July 2020, Hareli | Cow dung at ₹2/kg; vermicompost |
| Millet Mission | 2021 | Kodo, kutki, ragi; IIMR support |
| Krishak Unnati | 12 March 2024 | Difference up to ₹3,100/quintal, 21 quintals/acre; crop-shift aid from kharif 2025 |
| Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Kalyan | 20 Jan 2025 | ₹10,000/year to landless labourers |
| PM-KISAN | 2019 | ₹6,000/year (central) |
| PMFBY / PMKSY | 2016 / 2015 | Crop insurance / irrigation (central) |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Krishak Unnati Yojana (12 March 2024) pays the gap between MSP and ₹3,100 per quintal for up to 21 quintals per acre, and since kharif 2025 also rewards shifting away from paddy.
- Landless labourers get ₹10,000 a year under the Deendayal Upadhyay scheme (20 January 2025).
- Saur Sujala (2016, CREDA) provides subsidised solar pumps; Millet Mission (2021) promotes kodo, kutki and ragi.
- Earlier flagships: Kisan Nyay (21 May 2020), Godhan Nyay (20 July 2020), Narwa-Garwa-Ghurwa-Bari (2019).
- Always date scheme facts; evaluate them on income, diversification, inclusion and fiscal sustainability.
What’s Next
- Agriculture and Irrigation: Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page
- Economy and Schemes of Chhattisgarh: the state budget and welfare schemes beyond agriculture
- Welfare Programmes: central welfare schemes for GS-V
- Festivals and Traditions: Hareli, Pola and the farm calendar behind the scheme dates
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