The Government has adopted a holistic approach for overall development of tribal population, including tribal women, by providing support, inter alia, for education, health, employment, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, sanitation, drinking water, skill development and livelihood across the country including the State of Madhya Pradesh. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been implementing schemes/ programmes with focused approach on the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs), including tribal women, in a coordinated and planned manner.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs through Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) provides assistance and support to promote entrepreneurship among tribal people with special focus to tribal women in the States / UTs with notified STs including Madhya Pradesh, who are involved in traditional work through the following schemes: ‘Pradhan Mantri Jana JatiyaVikas Mission (PMJVM)’ from 2021-22, having two components “Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Development of Value Chain for MFP” and “Institutional Support for Development and Marketing of Tribal Products / Produce”; and (ii) “Equity Support to National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) / State Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporations (STFDCs)”.
TRIFED is implementing Van DhanVikasKaryakaram (VDVK) under PMJVM in the areas with significant tribal population. The VDVK envisages setting up Van DhanVikasKendras (VDVKs), each having about 300 members to promote value-addition and marketing of tribal products and minor forest products (MFP). Each VDVK consists of 15 Van Dhan Self Help Groups (VDSHGs), each of which comprises of up to 20 members. Since August, 2019, TRIFED has sanctioned 3,110 Van DhanVikas Kendra wherein 52,976 Van Dhan Self Help Groups associated with 9.27 lakhs beneficiaries has been included in 25 States and 02 UTs. NSTFDC is implementing an exclusive scheme titled “Adivasi MahilaSashaktikaranYojana (AMSY)” for Tribal women to undertake any income generation activity. Under this scheme, loan up to 90% of project costing up to Rs.2 lakh is provided at a highly concessional rate of interest of 4% per annum. This information was given by the MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
