New Delhi: Shri Arjun Munda, Hon’ble Minister for Tribal Affairs, Smt Renuka Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Shri Bishweswar Tudu, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs visited the TRIFED office headquarters. The purpose of the visit was to review the progress of the various schemes and activities being implemented for the empowerment of tribals.
On the occasion, the various activities and initiatives under “Sankalp Se Siddhi – Mission Van Dhan” of TRIFED was reviewed by the Hon’ble Ministers. It was noted that TRIFED has been implementing several noteworthy programmes for the empowerment of the tribals. Over the past two years, The ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’ has impacted the tribal ecosystem in a major way. Under the MSP for MFP scheme, cumulative procurement of Rs.1841.74 Cr has been made by States i.e. Rs.321.02 Cr using GOI funds and Rs.1520.72 Cr using State funds in last two years including Rs.821.48 Cr during the current financial year. This has helped in ensuring fair and remunerative prices to tribal gatherers for their produces raising market prices above MSP announced by the Government. Started in 2013-14 with 10 Minor Forest Produce items covering 9 PESA States impacting approx. 1 Lakhs tribal families the scheme is now expanded to 22 States covering 87 MFP items impacting 25 lakhs families. Total procurement up from Rs. 30 crores in 2014-15 to Rs. 1870 crores in 2020-21 along with estimated procurement by Private trade above MSP approx. Rs. 2000 crores resulting in direct benefit transfer of more than Rs. 3,800 crores to the tribal families.
Van Dhan introduced as “Tribal Start Ups” for value addition, branding, packing and marketing of Forest and other tribal produces through tribal gatherers. Under Van Dhan Yojana, establishment of 37,872 VDVKs have been sanctioned against the Sankalp Patra target of 50,000 VDVKs in Tribal area, which are subsumed into 2274 VDVK Clusters directly benefitting 6.76 Lakh beneficiaries/ Around 1200 VDVK Clusters are operational. The target of setting up of 50,000 VDVKs incorporating 10 Lakh tribal entrepreneurs has to be completed by 30th July 2021.
Under Retail Marketing, a total number of 140 Tribes India Outlets have been opened till date that have made a total sale of Rs.55.43 Cr. TRIFED has expanded its retail footprint substantially. It has expanded the artisans network from 71000 in 2016-17 to 312000 in 2020-21 as well as increased the outlets from 29 outlets in 2017-18 to 141 outlets in 2020-21. This has resulted in Sourcing/Sales from 16.00 crores in 2016-17 to Rs. 100 crores approx. in 2020-21 wherein the e-commerce portals currently market products by approx. 5 lakhs tribal artisans pan-India.
Besides, two TRIFOOD Projects at Jagdalpur and Raigarh (Maharashtra) are being shortly commissioned for undertaking value-addition of various forest products being procured by beneficiaries of Van Dhan Kendras. Each of these mega-food parks will scale up value addition, marketing, packaging and branding operation as a professionally managed manufacturing and production hub and will directly provide livelihood to more than 10,000 tribal families. These projects are being set up in collaboration with Ministry of Food Processing Industries. As a result of above, an estimated amount of Rs. 3874 Cr. has so far been injected in tribal economy, impacting lives of 25 Lakhs Tribal Population.
TRIFED now plans to expand its operations through convergence of various schemes of different Ministries and Departments and launch the various tribal development programs in Mission Mode under “Sankalp Se Siddhi – Mission Van Dhan” for expediting its implementation on war footingbasis in a Mission mode. Through this mission, establishment of 50,000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, 3000 Haat Bazaars, 600 Godowns, 200 Mini TRIFOOD Units, 100 Common Facility Centres, 100 TRIFOOD parks, 100 SFURTI clusters, 200 Tribes India retail stores, ecommerce platforms for TRIFOOD and Tribes India brands is being targeted.
Shri Munda said, “It is noteworthy that TRIFED has been consistently bringing out new initiatives that takes care of all aspects of tribal empowerment. Through this innovative connect programme, now information dissemination can happen both ways and lead to further development of initiatives and help our tribal brethren. ”
As the national nodal agency TRIFED has been working extensively towards tribal empowerment.
Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED thanked the Ministers for their inspiring words and affirmed his commitment to TRIFED’s mission towards making the tribals atmanirbhar and self-reliant.
TRIFED, as the nodal agency working towards tribal empowerment, continues to work towards improving the income and livelihood of the tribal people.
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