Bhubaneswar
In a major decision, the Naveen Patnaik Cabinet has nodded the provision of a 100 percent State-funded Minimum Support Price (MSP) on the Minor Forest Produce (MFP) of tribals. The MSP under the new State Scheme LABHA (Laghu bana jatya drabya kraya) Yojana will be determined every year by the State Government.
The decision would lead to empowerment of about one crore tribal people across the State, the Government said.
Under the scheme a primary collector (tribal) will be able to sell the MFP at Minimum Support Price collected at the procurement centres by Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL).
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes Development Minorities and Backward Communities Welfare Department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said, “Since 99 percent of the primary collectors of TDCCOL are tribal and majority of them are women, LABHA Yojana will integrate the efforts with the Mission Shakti’s Women SHGs. The new State Scheme will cover 119 tribal blocks in 14 Tribal districts.”
These procurement centres will be managed by SHGs /any other notified agencies assisted by TDCCOL and upon collection the amount will be deposited as direct benefit transfer (DBT) to the beneficiary account and the SHG/any other agency will receive their commission of two percent as well.
As per the scheme the Procurement Automation System will capture the total collection of MFP and the details of the primary collector and the procurement point. As per 5T principles the process will bring about greater benefits for the tribal people.
For further sale TDCCOL will do e-tendering and explore value addition and processing units. The State Government t is also going to benefit the tribals by setting up a 25-crore tamarind processing plant in Rayagada which will use the MFP of tamarind procured through LABHA Yojana for value-addition.
Sources said due to the LABHA Yojana the possibility of distress sale of the produce to any middlemen will also be eliminated. This new scheme will ensure timely procurement and value addition and regenerative sustainable livelihoods will be addressed.
Last year, record MFP procurement worth Rs 76 crore was done by TDCCOL.
With ‘LABHA’ more than 30,000 primary collectors and 1,000 women SHGs in the predominantly tribal districts will be benefited. The scheme in the initial phase will be effective in Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Raygada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Gajapti, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Balangir.
Earlier, the State and Central Government had a scheme for procurement of Minor Forest Produce (MFP), but in the last 10 years no fund has been released beyond the initial Revolving Fund.
While the State Government has been provisioning grants towards compensation for TDCCOL, it was felt that with the increase in production, timely procurement, timely release of remuneration and processing of MFP is the need of the hour.
It was felt necessary that the tribals should be extensively involved at all stages of the development process starting from identification of deficit areas, felt needs, plan formulation, implementation and monitoring so that holistic tribal development could be possible with an overall inclusive growth.
