Birsa Harit Gram Yojana
Up to 1 acre of fallow land planted free — 112 fruit and 80 timber saplings — with MGNREGA wage support so the family earns while the orchard grows, then carbon-credit income after year 5.
Run by: Rural Development Department, Government of Jharkhand (MGNREGA convergence)
- Land per farmer
- Up to 1 acre, free planting
- Tree mix
- 112 fruit + 80 timber/acre
- Labour wage
- Paid under MGNREGA
- Scale (2025)
- 1.67 lakh+ families, 1.49 lakh acres
- Carbon finance
- +₹60,000/acre over 20 yrs, 18 districts
Overview
This scheme converges horticulture with MGNREGA: an eligible farmer gets up to one acre of land planted free — 112 fruit saplings (mostly mango, with guava, lemon and pear, and litchi or cashew in newer patches) plus 80 timber saplings (teak, Indian rosewood, mahogany) — and the labour of digging pits, planting and early maintenance is paid as MGNREGA wage work rather than out of the family's own pocket.
It began in FY2016-17 as the Birsa Aam Bagwani Yojana, a mango-orchard pilot in Khunti district, and was relaunched under its current, wider fruit-and-timber name in 2020. Trained women extension workers called Bagwani Sakhis — over 15,000 of them so far — help farmers with pit-marking, planting technique and orchard upkeep.
By 2025 the scheme had reshaped roughly 1.49 lakh acres of fallow upland across more than 1.67 lakh families over nine years, planting an estimated 2.17 crore saplings — with a further 1 crore saplings and 50,000 acres targeted in the current year. Official cost estimates put the outlay at about ₹55,000 per acre over 10 years, against a potential farmer return of around ₹2 lakh per acre over the same period once the orchard is in full bearing.
Since 2024, farmers who planted under the scheme on fallow land after 2018 have also been linked to the international carbon market through a state partnership with Transforming Rural India (TRI) — over 30,000 farmers across 18 districts onboarded so far, with another 1.25 lakh planned, standing to earn roughly ₹60,000 more per acre over the next 20 years from carbon-credit sales, an estimated ₹500 crore statewide.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Up to 1 acre planted free with 112 fruit and 80 timber saplings — mango, guava, lemon, pear, plus litchi or cashew in newer patches.
- Planting and maintenance labour paid as MGNREGA job-card wages.
- Builds a recurring orchard income — a potential of around ₹2 lakh per acre over 10 years once trees are in full bearing.
- Extra carbon-credit income of roughly ₹60,000 per acre over 20 years for eligible plantations from 2018 onward, through the state's TRI carbon-market partnership.
- On-ground guidance from trained Bagwani Sakhis for planting technique and orchard care.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Rural household in Jharkhand with a valid MGNREGA job card
- Access to up to 1 acre of land (own, leased or gram-sabha-allotted fallow/upland), selected through the Gram Sabha
- Willingness to maintain the orchard through the initial growing years
Not covered
- Households without a job card cannot draw the labour-wage component
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- MGNREGA job card
- Aadhaar card
- Land record or land-allotment document
- Bank passbook
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply through the gram panchayat
Register interest at the panchayat or block office where MGNREGA works are planned for the season.
- 2
Land and pit preparation
Pit digging and preparation is taken up as MGNREGA work, with wages paid to the registered job-card holder.
- 3
Sapling planting and follow-up
Free saplings are supplied and planted — 112 fruit and 80 timber per acre; maintenance visits and follow-up watering/weeding continue under wage work for the early years.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Delays in sapling supply, wage payment or plantation work should first be raised at the panchayat or block MGNREGA office where the work is registered.
- If unresolved, escalate to CM Jansamvad — Jharkhand's general public-grievance cell — on the toll-free helpline 181 (24x7, alternate number 0651-2282201), through the portal at cmjansamvad.jharkhand.gov.in, or by email to [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to buy the saplings?
No — the 112 fruit and 80 timber saplings for up to 1 acre are supplied free under the scheme.
Is the planting labour unpaid family work?
No — digging, planting and early maintenance is paid as MGNREGA wage work to the job-card holder.
How long before the orchard earns money?
It depends on the fruit — guava and lemon can start earlier, while mango typically takes 3 to 5 years. Government estimates put the potential return at around ₹2 lakh per acre over 10 years once the orchard is in full bearing.
How is Birsa Harit Gram Yojana different from Birsa Aam Bagwani Yojana?
They're the same lineage — the scheme began in FY2016-17 as Birsa Aam Bagwani Yojana, focused on mango orchards, and was relaunched in 2020 as Birsa Harit Gram Yojana with a wider fruit-plus-timber mix.
How much land can one farmer get planted?
Up to 1 acre per eligible farmer, on fallow or upland selected through the Gram Sabha; smaller plots are also accepted.
What is the carbon-credit income and who qualifies?
Farmers who planted under the scheme on fallow land after 2018 can be onboarded to the state's carbon-market partnership with Transforming Rural India (TRI), currently active in 18 districts — it pays roughly ₹60,000 extra per acre spread over 20 years, on top of the fruit and timber income, not instead of it.
What if my sapling delivery or wages are delayed?
Raise it with the panchayat or block MGNREGA office first; if unresolved, escalate to CM Jansamvad on the toll-free 181 helpline or cmjansamvad.jharkhand.gov.in.
Facts checked against jharkhand.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.