Chhattisgarh CM launches Indira Van Mitan Yojana

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], Aug 9 (ANI): Aiming to make the forest dwellers in Chhattisgarh self-reliant, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday announced the launch of Indira Van Mitan Yojana on the occasion of World Tribal Day.
He said that under this scheme, groups of youth will be formed in 10,000 villages of tribal area of the state and all forest-based economic activities will be conducted through these groups.
New doors will open for self-employment and prosperity of the forest dwellers through these groups. Under this scheme, arrangements for procurement, processing and marketing of forest produce will be ensured through groups. The government has set a target of establishing forest produce processing centres in every tribal development block of the state.
Baghel said that groups will be formed under this scheme in 10,000 villages of scheduled areas, in which youth will be given priority.
The Indira Van Mitan scheme aims to add 19 lakh families from scheduled areas. Through this scheme, groups will be empowered to manage trees, so that they can collect the forest produce from the trees of the forest areas and get economic benefits. The purchase of forest produce will be arranged through the group, so that the right price of forest produce can be obtained.
The estimated cost of a unit would be around Rs 10 lakh. An amount of Rs 8.50 crore will be made available for establishment of forest produce processing unit in 85 development blocks of scheduled areas. Instead of timber, fruit and vegetation plants will be planted in the forests, which can increase the income of forest dwellers.
Baghel further said in his address that tribal society has been the biggest protector of nature and natural resources. Proximity to nature and balanced use of natural resources are essential for the better life of future generations. He said that on the occasion of World Tribal Day, we should consider all aspects of the interest of tribal society in a holistic manner.
He appealed to every member and organisations of tribal society to be vocal about their rights and opportunities for development. The government of Chhattisgarh is always with them, he said.
The Chief Minister said that due to the work, policies and decisions of his government, the attitude of tribal areas is changing rapidly. A new chapter on the rights of tribals on water, forest and land is being written. (ANI)