Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh tries to woo tribals with Van Dhan Yojana
NEW DELHI: The Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh is trying to cash in on Modi government’s flagship programme Van Dhan Yojana to woo the tribals ahead of the November elections.
Next month, Chhattisgarh would become the first state to roll out India’s maiden Van Dhan Vikas Kendra in Naxal-infested Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
Van Dhan Yojana, launched by Modi in Bijapur on April 14, involves setting up of skill upgradation and value addition centres in rural tribal villages. These centres would first train the tribals in how to add value to minor forest produce. The value addition would help in enhancing their income.
While 20 tribal-dominated states have decided to launch the initiate, Chhattisgarh has done the most extensive work. The government is seeing this initiative as an opportunity to woo back the tribals, who in the last Assembly election had voted in favour of the Congress. According to state government sources, a beginning in the scheme would be made in Bijapur and then would be extended to Dantewada.
The state government is also desperately looking towards the Centre to increase the minimum support price of minor forest produce before the code of conduct is put in place. A move is afoot to increase the MSP by 40-60% and identify more MFPs to be included under MSP scheme. The scheme, which was launched in 2 013 -14 by Congress - led UPA government, involves fixing MSP for each of 24 MFPs by the Centre.
In case the market price falls below this, state governments move in to procure MFPs in village haats and mandis. These are then stored and sold when the market prices increase.
Next month, Chhattisgarh would become the first state to roll out India’s maiden Van Dhan Vikas Kendra in Naxal-infested Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
Van Dhan Yojana, launched by Modi in Bijapur on April 14, involves setting up of skill upgradation and value addition centres in rural tribal villages. These centres would first train the tribals in how to add value to minor forest produce. The value addition would help in enhancing their income.
While 20 tribal-dominated states have decided to launch the initiate, Chhattisgarh has done the most extensive work. The government is seeing this initiative as an opportunity to woo back the tribals, who in the last Assembly election had voted in favour of the Congress. According to state government sources, a beginning in the scheme would be made in Bijapur and then would be extended to Dantewada.
The state government is also desperately looking towards the Centre to increase the minimum support price of minor forest produce before the code of conduct is put in place. A move is afoot to increase the MSP by 40-60% and identify more MFPs to be included under MSP scheme. The scheme, which was launched in 2 013 -14 by Congress - led UPA government, involves fixing MSP for each of 24 MFPs by the Centre.
In case the market price falls below this, state governments move in to procure MFPs in village haats and mandis. These are then stored and sold when the market prices increase.