PROPOSAL FOR SETTING UP OF MODEL VAN DHAN VIKAS KENDRA IN GARIABAND DISTRICT OF CHHATTISGARH THE ASSOCIATED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF INDIA (ASSOCHAM) INSTITUTE OF APPLIED SYSTEMS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (IASRD) PROPOSAL FOR SETTING UP OF MODEL VAN DHAN VIKAS KENDRA IN GARIABAND DISTRICT OF CHHATTISGARH THE NEED The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi launched the Van Dhan Scheme on 14th April 2018 during the celebrations of Ambedkar Jayanti at Bijapur, Chattisgarh,.emphasizing the important role of value addition in increasing tribals income. The objective of Van Dhan Yojana (Vikas Kendra) is to provide skill upgradation and capacity building, training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility Kendra. Under Van Dhan Vikas Yojana, Self Help Groups of Tribal gatherers are constituted. They are then trained and provided with working capital to add value to the products, which they collect from the jungle. Working under the leadership of Collector these groups can then market their products not only within the States but also outside the States. BACKGROUND India has 104.2 Million tribal population which as per Census 2011 constitutes 8.6 percent of the total population of the country. About 93 per cent of them live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture and allied activities. The socio-demographic statistical data reveal the disadvantaged position of the STs compared to other category of population. The literacy rate among the STs in India is 63.1 per cent (NSSO, 2010), which is lower than the national literacy rate i.e. 72.8 per cent (Census, 2011). Majority of the ST population is engaged in unorganized sector without any job security. The tribal population is not only most disadvantaged, but exploited and neglected lot of people in India. Despite certain constitutional provisions, they are backward compared to the general population. Their situation is worse than the Schedule Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) population. Majority of the tribes reside in the remote forest areas, remain isolated, untouched by civilization and unaffected by the development processes. They depend on resources generated from the forest, which satisfy their basic needs. Therefore have interest in preserving the forest as it is their life support system. However large scale industrialization, urbanization and exploitation of natural resources and deforestation is resorted to meet the urban and industrial demands. These activities have greatly affected their livelihood pattern. This trend has been responsible for displacing large number of tribes from their habitations. The initiation of developmental projects and rapid industrialization has not made much difference in their socio-economic status; rather in some instances the situation of STs has become worse. The widespread poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, absence of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation facility, poor living conditions, ineffective coverage of maternal, child health and nutritional services has made their condition more vulnerable. The tribal population of India are scattered all over the country depicting heterogeneous culture and socio-economic status. There are about 700 tribes (with overlapping categories in some States/UTs) as per notified Schedule under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. The region wise classification of tribal population may be seen in Annexure – I. Now we analyze the mechanism of value addition and its impact on their living. Value addition assumes critical importance in ensuring remunerative prices to the tribals in this approach. Three stage value additions would be the corner stone for enhancing incomes of the tribals under the scheme. The grass root level procurement is proposed to be undertaken through Self Help Groups associated with implementing agencies. Convergence and Networking with other Govt. agencies. According to the scheme 10 SHGs of 30 tribal gatherers is constituted. They are then trained and provided with working capital to add value to the products, which they collect from the forest. These SHGs are required to form clusters so as to aggregate their stocks in tradable quantity and linking with facility of primary processing in a Van Dhan Vikas Kendra. The stock after primary processing shall be supplied by these SHGs to the state Implementing Agencies or direct tie up for supply to corporate secondary processor for creation of secondary level value addition facility at district level and tertiary level value addition facility at state level, Big Corporates shall be involved under PPP model. This PPP model will be based on utilizing Private entrepreneur skills in undertaking processing as well as marketing of the produce and Central/State Government support in terms of creating infrastructure and providing enabling environment for undertaking value addition of systematic scientific lines. These will be sophisticated large value addition hubs managed by Private entrepreneur. The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra will be an important milestone in the economic development of tribals involved in collection of MFPs by helping them in optimum utilization of natural resources and provide sustainable MFP-based livelihood in MFP-rich district. The total number of tribes, Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) and list of major tribes in different States and Union Territories (UTs) in India reflect the heterogeneity among them. There are about 75 such groups identified as PTGs located in 17 States and in 1 UT. There are many tribal communities having stagnant or declining population with low level of literacy and poor socio- economic condition. This challenge is to be resolved through development such Van Dhan Vikas Kendra. OBJECTIVES The primary objective of setting up the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra is to pursue the following: • To preserve and enhance the traditional knowledge and practices of the tribal society. • To offer a state-of-art integrated research facility in the field of bio-technology to increase productivity of local resource. • To organize training programmes for the local people to improve traditional practice and arrest the decline. • To map the bio-diversity of the area and evolve a people-centric framework for patenting the local bio-resources. SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES The proposed centre will serve as a multi disciplinary nodal point for improving the livelihood status of the tribals by engaging in multiple activities enumerated below: • Documenting the tribal wisdom knowledge and practices prevalent amongst tribals since generations • Identifying various livelihood activities with potential of value addition through consultation with the tribal community • Formulation of various self help groups of beneficiaries for different livelihood activities identified • Various minor forest produce items like low hanging Dhak (Palash) leaves to be collected by tribals for leaf plate making, collection of Honey, medicinal herbs, aromatic etc. • Enumerating various traditional skills like Basket making, Rope making Tribal Paintings and other Tribal Handy Crafts • Capacity Building of tribals by training and provision of appropriate tools • Empowerment of tribals by conducting adult literacy programs and facilitating opening of Jan Dhan accounts • Establishing infrastructure including building comprising of multipurpose hall, store, kitchen, Toilets, workshops etc. • Equipping these centers with rooftop Solar Power systems and broad band connected computers, Projectors and UPS and other peripherals etc. with internet facility for digital empowerment of tribal community aligning with digital India program of Government of India • Collaborating with Chhattisgarh minor forest produce corporation for ensuring minimum support price fixed by the Government • Linking with corporates for showcasing the tribal forest produce and Handicrafts for creating better visibility and develop Organized Markets for the produce ensuring remunerative prices and scaling up of demand • Exploring the International market by promoting the produce globally • Organizing Van Dhan Melas for promoting the products of VDVK LOCATION Gariaband District in Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh is predominantly a tribal state which was carved out of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh primarily to give a fillip to developments of tribals. The recorded forest area in the state is 59,772 km2 which is 44.21 of its geographical area. Reserved, Protected and Unclassified Forest constitute 43.33%, 4021% and 16.65% of the total forest area respectively. The state comprises of 27 districts. The demographic details of various districts are given in Annexure – II. Out of these districts Gariaband has been identified for setting up of the proposed Van Dhan Vikas Kendra. In this context a letter has been addressed to the District Magistrate, Gariaband District of Chhattisgarh, copy of the letter is attached at Annexure – III. The location coordinates of the Gariaband district are reproduced below. Livelihood Promotion Activities with Potential of Value Addition Sr. Activity Value Addition at VDVK No. 1 Leaf Plate Making (Pattal and Dona) Machine Based Compressing & Partitioning 2 Collection of Honey Combs Packaging and Branding including the Wax by product 3 Collection of Tendu leaves Sorting, Grading, Packaging, Branding and Marketing 4 Gums, Resins and Lac Sorting, Grading, Packaging, Branding and Marketing 5 Collection of Tamarind Sorting, Grading, Packaging, Branding and Marketing 7 Collection of Mahua Seeds Sorting, Grading, Packaging, Branding and Marketing