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Van Dhan Scheme launched by PM to help increase tribal income

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On April 14, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Van Dhan Scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) during the celebrations of Ambedkar Jayanti at Bijapur, Chattisgarh.

Van Dhan Scheme launched by PM to help increase tribal incomeBackground information:

This scheme is for socio economic development of tribals living in forests, for whom, collecting Minor Forest Produce (MFP) is a major source of livelihood.

  • The scheme envisages making tribals competent to add value to the products they collect from the jungle.
  • Value addition will fetch better prices and will thereby increase the income of tribals engaged in this activity.

Salient Features of Van Dhan Scheme:

Under Van Dhan, 10 Self Help Groups (SHGs) of 30 Tribal gatherers will be constituted.

  • Each SHG will trained and provided with working capital to add value to the products, which they collect from the jungle.
  • Training and technical support will be provided by TRIFED.  Government is planning to set up 30000 centres across India for this purpose.
  • SHGs will be linked to facility of primary processing in a Van Dhan Vikas Kendras.
  • Working under the leadership of Collector, SHGs can then market their products not only within the States but also outside the States.

About Van Dhan Vikas Kendra:

“Van Dhan Vikas Kendra” is for providing skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility.

  • The first “Van Dhan Vikas Kendra”, to be set up in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh will provide skill upgradation and capacity building training to 300 individuals and will have a primary processing and value addition facility.
  • It will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs.43.38 lakhs.
  • Initially, this Kendra will have processing facility for Tamarind brick making, Mahua flower storage facility and chironjee cleaning and packaging.