Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission:
The government is seeking to strengthen forest-based economy through the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM).
- Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission was launched in 2021-22 to create a more organised system for tribal communities to process, add value to and market Minor Forest Produce.
- The mission seeks to move tribal communities beyond selling raw forest produce by providing them with skills, technology, infrastructure and market linkages.
- It has objective to strengthen the tribal forest economy by combining traditional knowledge and locally available resources with modern processing, technology and market access.
- This mission provides support at different stages, from collection and processing to marketing.
- Skill development: Tribal gatherers are trained in scientific harvesting, processing and value addition.
- Infrastructure: Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) receives support for setting up facilities at beneficiaries’ homes or in government or Gram Panchayat buildings.
- Depending on the locally available produce, centres can receive equipment such as cutting and sieving tools, decorticators, dryers and packaging equipment.
- Financial linkages are facilitated through banks, financial institutions and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation.
- Support is also provided for storage and transportation on a rental basis.
- A key component of the mission is the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) model.
- VDVKs bring tribal forest gatherers together through self-help groups and help them undertake primary processing and value addition.
- A VDVK is generally formed by clustering around 15 self-help groups, comprising about 300 tribal members.
- At least 60 per cent of the members are required to belong to Scheduled Tribe communities.
- The Van Dhan Yojana, launched in 2018, forms the foundation of this model.
