NASHIK: Pradhan Mantri’s Van Dhan Samuh Yojana is a Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED’s initiative to boost the tribal incomes by adding value to tribal products. The scheme aims at tribal development, especially women employment, by creating employment opportunities based on forest products.
A total of 300 Samuh Kendras will be set in the state to aid the tribals by providing correct guidance and required support to modify their products. In the first phase, 80 kendras (centres) have been sanctioned, and the first centre will be set up at Mohdand in Peth Taluka next month. In Maharashtra, Shabari Vikas Mahamandal is implementing the scheme through Adivasi Vikas Mandal at the grassroots level.
Dr.Bharati Pawar, Union Health Minister, is playing a major role in tribal development and implementation of this scheme. The mandals are training women self-help groups to generate awareness about the scheme among the tribals residing in distant areas. The aim is to aware the tribals on various topics like production and sales, warehouse office, retail shops, infrastructure, packaging, and machinery.
Tribal Department Officials, Maharashtra’s Coordinator for Scheme, Dr. Yogesh Patil, employees working on the digital platform for the scheme, and Dr. Prashant Badhane together managed to gather 70 self-help groups in Peth Taluka and provide permanent employment to 300 women in the village.
The first centre will be set up next month in Mohdand, Peth, and the tribals will be able to generate a decent income. Due to this centre, forest produces like honey, Nagli, brown rice will get processed, and the product will be sold in big markets, thus providing a higher profit margin to tribals. The tribal areas Trimbakeshwar and Surgana talukas have abundant forest covers. However, the forest items need to be put to proper use to generate income.
