Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday chaired a meeting of Forest Department officials at the Mantralaya here to fast track work on purchase of a total of five small forest produces in the State.
Singh directed officials to prepare an elaborate Action Plan for purchase of the five key minor forest produce mainly Imli, Chiraunji, Kosa, Mahua seeds and lakh.
He said that the forest produce would be purchased from weekly Haat Bazaars for the benefit of the forest dwellers. Around 14 lakh forest dwelling families would be directly benefitted from the scheme.
Raman also sought information on the status of work on converting a total of 420 Forest villages into ‘Revenue villages’.
Singh told the officials that around Rs450 crore worth of business on minor forest produce is carried out in State. However, the forest dwellers get less than the expected price for the forest produce from the traders and middlemen.
He said that the Government had launched the scheme to rid the forest dwellers off middlemen in the purchase of minor forest produce.
Singh said that arrangements would be made for purchase at weekly Haat bazaars in regions where minor forest produce is available.
He said that this would be a major drive for the benefit of the forest dwellers. The minor forest produce would be purchased on the lines of the purchase of nationalised forest produce of Tendu Patta, Sal seeds and Gum.
Raman stated that the State Co-operative Minor Forest Produce Federation would be compensated for the losses suffered in the business during implementation of the scheme.
It was informed in the meeting that Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar would be presiding over a meeting thorough video conference on December 23 to review work taken up for purchase of minor forest produce.
Raman stated that the forest villages are being converted into ‘Revenue villages’ to bring the forest dwellers living in trying conditions into the developmental mainstream.
He also directed that the work of conversion of Forest villages into ‘Revenue villages’ be achieved within the prescribed time frame which would enable distribution of bank loans, fertilizers and seeds to the forest dwellers.
Raman directed that ‘Gram Sabhas’ must be held in every forest village to generate awareness about conversion of forest villages into ‘Revenue villages’.