Chhattisgarh- Blessed with resources, cursed with Social and Political turmoil

The central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, rich in natural resources like coal, iron ore, bauxite, and limestone, is a hub for industrial growth with significant potential in steel, power, and cement production. Its dense forests also offer opportunities in forestry and agro-based industries.

However, persistent social and political turmoil, including Naxalite insurgencies, gender, social and caste differences, have hindered sustainable development, disrupting infrastructure projects and deterring investment in many regions. Balancing resource exploitation with inclusive growth remains a key challenge.

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What Schemes and Resources Exist

Bhu Naksha Website provides plot lines for all the plots of lands in Chhattisgarh towns and villages alongside landowner names.
Chief Minister Saksham Suraksha Yojana: This initiative offers loan facilities up to ₹1 lakh to women associated with self-help groups for establishing small-scale industries, aiming to make women self-reliant and empowered
Kisan Samriddhi Yojana - This scheme provides financial assistance to farmers of all categories, with a preference for small and marginal farmers.

Project Affected Women (PAW) of Chhattisgarh (Our Findings)

PAW of land acquisition projects in Chhattisgarh from 10 sites were interviewed to reveal the following issues -

Most did not own the acquired land
either they worked on it, or it was owned by husband
compensation provided was mostly handled by husband and his family
Compensatory jobs were given mostly to men
women lost traditional livelihoods to modern projects
women actively participated in land acquisition protests and land liberation movements
burden of transition falls mostly on women

Women protesting against the acquisition of Hasdeo forests in Chhattisgarh

What Research Says

Women have higher participation rates in agriculture in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh despite less ownership (Dhruw et al., 2020).
Despite protective acts like Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA) 1996 for protecting scheduled village lands, most women in these communities (Gond, Halba, Muria) continue to remain poor and landless (Sen, 2018).
Women are most at loss due to Mining related displacements in Chhattisgarh (Mukherjee, 2014).
Women play significant roles in sustainable development of community forest lands as traditional livelihood entrepreneurs (Tiwari, 2015).

How Bhumija can help the women of Chhattisgarh

Include more schemes for urban women
Encourage rural and tribal women to become landowners with loan access and awareness
Promote joint land titling
Acting as a legal aid and advisory centre for women on property matters.
providing all the necessary information to women on land management, using technology with translations and video tutorials

Collaboration with Shakuntala Foundation

One of our Co-Founders has worked with Shakuntala Foundation, an NGO in Chhattisgarh working relentlessly for the welfare and healthcare of local women and children, by providing them medical facilities, sanitary napkins and heart surgery .
Shakuntala foundation has also helped local women become self-reliant by promoting small scale industries and handicrafts work by them.
Info about Shakuntala Foundation can be found on-

https://ngodetails.com/india/tamil-nadu/shakuntala-foundation-chhattisgarh/

Dr. Kanchan Sen Sharma and NGO President Smita Gajendra in a campaign for sanitary awareness in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Collaboration with Roti Club NGO

Roti Club is an NGO based in Bhilai Chhattisgarh which works for providing roti (Indian bread) and meals to aged individuals (above the age of 85) and underprivileged families without functional kitchens.
In this process Roti Club also helps some local women find employment by making the meals.
Dr. Kanchan has volunteered with the NGO in their campaigns and helped in arranging groceries and other materials for the process of meal distribution.
Interacting with hardworking women in the process has helped in developing the concept of Bhumija

Further information about Roti Club NGO can be found here-

https://www.justdial.com/Durg/Roti-Club-Bhilai/9999PX788-X788-240418194345-T9U6_BZDET