In a move aimed to strengthen the rural economy, the Chhattisgarh government will set up rural industrial parks in the state. In the first year of the project, there will be 300 such parks. “The project will be launched on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2,” Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said. “We are going to start ‘gramin aajeevika parks’, to be known as ‘rural industrial parks’, to develop gauthans as livelihood centres.” In keeping with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of gram swaraj, which is strengthening the rural economy by promoting cottage industries, Baghel has started the initiative to establish such units to provide income-generating opportunities. The first such park in Chhattisgarh came up in Kulgaon, Kanker district, which has been named Gandhi Gram. The district administration, along with women’s self-help groups, has developed the park. The government is planning to use District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds for this.