Union Minister of Tribal Affairs launched the following schemes on the occasion –
Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest produces (MFPs):
- Almost 5.5 crores tribals residing in the dense forest areas of the Country will benefit from the Schemes of Minimum Support Price and Value Addition.
- The Scheme will offer remunerative MSP for 50 commercially viable items to the Tribals. MFPs now covered the entire range of forest produces. The MSP had been raised by 30% to 40%. This would go a long way in adding to the income of the Tribals.
- It is proposed to set up almost 6000 Van Dan Vikas Kendras comprising 300 tribal gatherers each in the Country providing employment to almost 45 Lakh tribals.
Release of guidelines of Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram:
- This programme promotes enterprise and marketing skills in tribals. This will be a game changer in the very near future, if implemented diligently.
- The tribals presently get only 20 – 30% of the value chain of the Minor Forest Produces. This situation will change after Van Dhan scheme which aims to take this share to 70 to 80%.
- The Prime Minister of India launched the Van Dhan Scheme in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on 14th April, 2018.
TRIFOOD project:
- TRIFOOD Scheme is a joint initiative of Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.
- Under this scheme a tertiary value addition center will be set up in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and Raigad in Maharashtra at a cost of approximately Rs.11 crores.
- A highlight of this is the production of “Heritage Mahua” drink. The traditional Mahua tribal drink will be mainstreamed and marketed all over the Country under this project.
TRIFEDs CSR initiatives –“Friends of TRIBES”:
- He also launched the “Friends of Tribes” initiative of the Ministry. TRIFED has tied up CSR funds to promote tribal livelihoods.
- Public Sector Organisations like BPCL, IOCL and SPMCL have sanctioned approximately Rs. 10.00 crores for promoting Van Dhan operations in Barwani, Rajnandgaon, Dewas and Hoshangabad Districts of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
