Context:
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has given its approval for the establishment of the first ever multipurpose ‘Van Dhan Vikas Kendra’ on pilot basis in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh for providing skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility.
Details of the Kendra:
- This first model Van Dhan Vikas Kendra is being implemented for the training of 300 beneficiaries with a total outlay of Rs. 43.38 lakhs for the purpose of training, providing equipments and tool for primary level processing and infrastructure and building for housing the Kendra.
- This Kendra will have processing facility for Tamarind brick making, Mahua flower storage facility and chironjee cleaning and packaging.
- Implementation: TRIFED has assigned the work for establishment of the pilot project in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh to CGMFP Federation and Collector; Bijapur would be the coordinating force.
Minor Forest Produce:
- Minor Forest Produce (MFP) is defined as all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, brushwood, stumps, canes, Tusser, cocoon, honey, waxes, Lac, tendu/kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herb, roots, tuber under Section 2(i) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognitions of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
- MFP is a major source of livelihood for the tribal people in forest area, about 100 million forest dwellers depend on MFPs for food, shelter, medicines and cash incomes.
Significance:
- The Van Dhan Vikas Kendras will be an important milestone in economic development of tribal involved in collection of Minor Food Produces (MFPs) by helping them in optimum utilization of natural resources and provide sustainable MFP-based livelihood in MFP-rick districts.
- Source of livelihood: MFP provides tribal people critical subsistence during the lean season; they derive 20-40% of their annual income from MFP on which they spend major portion of their time.
- Women empowerment: Moreover, this activity has strong linkage to women’s financial empowerment as most of the MFPs are collected, used/sold by women.
- Increase in annual workdays: This sector has the potential to create about 10 million workdays annually in the country.
Source:PIB