PM Narendra Modi launched Van Dhan Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Van Dhan Scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) during the celebrations of Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14) at Bijapur, Chattisgarh. PM also inaugurated first model Van Dhan Vikas Kendra under the scheme in Bijapur.

Van Dhan Scheme

The scheme aims at economic development of tribals  involved in collection of Minor Food Produces (MFPs) by helping them in optimum utilization of natural resources and provide them sustainable livelihood. Under it, 10 Self Help Groups (SHGs) of 30 Tribal gatherers will be constituted.
The SHGs will then be trained and provided with working capital to add value to products they collect from forest.  They will be able to market their products, by working under leadership of collector, not only within states but also outside states.
TRIFED will be provide all required training and technical support to SHGs. They will be trained on sustainable harvesting, collection, primary processing and value addition. They will be formed into clusters to aggregate their stock in tradable quantity and link them with facility of primary processing in Van Dhan Vikas Kendra.
Van Dhan Vikas Kendra will be established under scheme will provide skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility. It will be used for training of beneficiaries by providing them equipment and tools for primary level processing and infrastructure and building for housing.
The SHGs will supply their stock after primary processing to State Implementing Agencies or can directly tie up with corporate secondary processor. Big corporates will create secondary level value addition facility at district level and tertiary level value addition facility at state level under the PPP model.
The PPP model will be based on utilising Private entrepreneur skills in undertaking processing as well as marketing of the produce. The central and state governments will provide necessary support by creating infrastructure and providing enabling environment for undertaking value addition of systematic scientific lines.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2018