Lok Sabha Question No. 1044 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Van Dhan Kendras in Maharashtra
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Hemant Tukaram Godse

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1044

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## VAN DHAN KENDRAS IN MAHARASHTRA

## 1044.   SHRI HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  set  up  Van  Dhan  Kendras  involving  Self  Help Groups (SHGs) in Maharashtra State under the Van-Dhan Yojana;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether any such guidelines have been issued for this scheme and districts selected for the implementation of the scheme, State/UT-wise and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

(a)  &  (b)  The  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  provides  funds  to  Tribal  Cooperative  Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), an autonomous organization under the Ministry, for  establishment  of  Van  Dhan  Vikas  Kendras  (VDVKs)  in  the country  including  State  of Maharashtra under the scheme of Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce(MFP) through Minimum Support Price(MSP) and Development of Value Chain of MFPs'. Under this  programme,  tribal  community  owned  Minor  Forest  Produce  centric  multi-purpose Kendras  are  set-up  in  localities  with  significant  tribal  population.  The  Kendras  act  as common  facility  centres  for  procurement  cum  value  addition  to  locally  available  Minor Forest  Produce,  training  of  tribal  MFP  gatherers  etc.  to  provide  sustainable  livelihood opportunities at community level while creating enabling environment to prevent distressed migration.A  typical  Van  Dhan  Kendra  is  a  cluster  compriseing  of  15  Self  Help  Groups (SHGs) consisting of a total of around 300 members.

(c)   The guidelines for implementation of Van Dhan Vikas Karyakaram have been notified by  the  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  vide  Notification  No.  19/17/2018  -  Livelihood  dated 26.02.2019. The same are available at Ministry of Tribal Affairs' website -https://tribal.nic.in/Livelihood.aspx.  This  is  a  demand-based  initiative  and  proposals  for establishment of VDVKs are received from the respective State Governments. Hence, there is no  pre-selection  of  districts  under  this  initiative.  State-wise  status  of  establishment  of  Van Dhan Vikas Kendras along with number of beneficiaries, including Maharashtra, is enclosed as Annexure.

## STATE-WISE STATUS OF ESTABLISHMENT OF VAN DHAN VIKAS KENDRAS ALONG WITH NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES

| S. No.   | State                              |   No. of VDVKs Sanctioned |   No. of Tribal Beneficiaries |   Total Funds Sanctioned (In Rs. Lakhs) |
|----------|------------------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                     |                       263 |                         77658 |                                 3882.9  |
| 2        | Assam                              |                       128 |                         37786 |                                 1920    |
| 3        | Bihar                              |                         8 |                          1630 |                                   81.5  |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh                       |                       139 |                         41700 |                                 2085    |
| 5        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |                         1 |                           302 |                                   15    |
| 6        | Goa                                |                        10 |                          3000 |                                  150    |
| 7        | Gujarat                            |                       116 |                         34424 |                                 1721.2  |
| 8        | Ladakh                             |                        10 |                          3000 |                                  150    |
| 9        | Jharkhand                          |                        39 |                         11601 |                                  569.7  |
| 10       | Karnataka                          |                        39 |                         11448 |                                  572.4  |
| 11       | Kerala                             |                        28 |                          7732 |                                  385.25 |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh                     |                        86 |                         25800 |                                 1290    |
| 13       | Maharashtra                        |                       264 |                         79350 |                                 3960    |
| 14       | Manipur                            |                       200 |                         60390 |                                 2996.8  |
| 15       | Meghalaya                          |                        39 |                         11835 |                                  584.1  |
| 16       | Mizoram                            |                       159 |                         46168 |                                 2306.55 |
| 17       | Nagaland                           |                       206 |                         61800 |                                 3090    |
| 18       | Odisha                             |                       156 |                         46807 |                                 2269.25 |
| 19       | Rajasthan                          |                       189 |                         57292 |                                 2832.2  |
| 20       | Sikkim                             |                        80 |                         24000 |                                 1169.05 |
| 21       | Tamil Nadu                         |                         7 |                          2100 |                                  105    |
| 22       | Telangana                          |                        17 |                          5100 |                                  255    |
| 23       | Tripura                            |                        32 |                          9039 |                                  436.95 |
| 24       | Uttar Pradesh                      |                        12 |                          3591 |                                  179.55 |
| 25       | Uttarakhand                        |                        12 |                          3305 |                                  164.95 |
|          | Total                              |                      2240 |                        666858 |                                33172.3  |

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