Baghel inaugurates cultural dance festival
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the 43rd Raut Nacha festival. He also participated in the traditional performance. Raut Nacha is a dance performed by Yadava/Yaduvanshis, a caste which considers themselves as descendants of Lord Krishna. As a symbol of worship, they perform the dance at the time of ‘dev udhni ekadashi’. The dance is performed as a tribute to Krishna’s dance or Raas Leela. Adorned with bright and colourful attire, dancers perform in groups at the beat of music and songs. Equipped with sticks and metal shields, and bells tied to their waist and ankles, the dancers enact the ancient battles of valiant warriors and the eternal triumph of good over evil.
Govt urged to set up peace ministry
Ekta Parishad, the organisation working on Gandhian principles of equity, solidarity and justice, has urged the state government to ensure peace and justice in Chhattisgarh. The founder of Ekta Parishad Rajagopal PV met Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and suggested that peace is in demand now in the areas affected by violence, and this is the best time to execute the Gandhian’s principles. He urged the CM to set up a ‘peace ministry’ in the state besides incorporating formal education on peace and harmony in all educational institutions. All these will pave the way to establish social justice, he said.
Pink toilets to come up in Raipur city
The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) has decided to construct pink toilets—a facility exclusively for women and children—in the city. Such restrooms, according to the RMC mayor Aijaz Dhebar, will be equipped with a baby feeding room, waiting room, incinerator facilities and sanitary napkin vending machine. The locations for setting up the pink toilets would be selected based on the footfall of women and girls in those areas. The users will also get an option to rate the facility based on cleanliness. It is believed that the initiative will give a fillip to the Swachh Bharat Mission. The municipal authorities have invited agencies to come up with their expression of interest (EOI).
Paddy procurement to begin this month
The much-awaited paddy procurement at the minimum support price (MSP), which continues to remain a major socio-political issue in Chhattisgarh, will begin this month across 2,305 centres. The use of sanitiser, mask and handwashing facilities in view of the Covid-19 pandemic has been made mandatory in each centre. This Kharif season, 21.29 lakh farmers have registered themselves compared to the previous year’s 19.55 lakh, to sell their paddy on MSP. The procurement of around 95 lakh metric tonnes of paddy is estimated during the current marketing year. The area under paddy cultivation has increased from 19.36 lakh hectares to 27.59 lakh hectares, officials said. The paddy is procured by the government on an MSP of Rs 2,500 per quintal.
Ejaz Kaiser
Our correspondent in Chhattisgarh ejaz@newindianexpress.com