Parliament Question: Implementation of PM Van Dhan Yojana

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 842 TO BE ANSWERED ON- 23/07/2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF PM VAN DHAN YOJANA

842. DR. D. PURANDESWARI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana has systematically transformed the tribal economy by monetizing Minor Forest Produce (MFP) in the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha Constituency, if so, the details thereof;

b) the total number of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras established and operated by local tribal women self-help groups in the said region during 2025-26;

(c) whether the provision of free modern processing toolkits has enabled artisans to add commercial value to products such as honey and tamarind, thereby increasing their incomes, if so, the details thereof;

(d) the details of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) interventions undertaken to protect tribal gatherers from financial exploitation by local middlemen; and

(e) the future steps planned to facilitate direct market linkages for processed forest products by onboarding local tribal cooperatives onto major national e-commerce platforms? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (TRIBAL AFFAIRS) (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) & (b): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides financial support for establishment of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) through Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha AbhiyaN (PM-JANMAN). A total 114 VDVKs (110 under PMJVM and 4 under PM JANMAN) have been sanctioned in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha Constituency, covering parts of Eluru, East Godavari and Kakinada districts. These VDVKs have facilitated value addition and marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP), thereby improving the incomes and livelihoods of tribal households. The 110 PMJVM VDVKs are operated through 120 tribal Self-Help Groups (SHGs) comprising about 3,600 members, predominantly women. Further, 4 PM JANMAN VDVKs involve 20 SHGs with 200 PVTG members. However, no new VDVKs were established in the region during 2025-26.

(c): Under the Van Dhan initiative, eligible VDVKs have been provided with modem processing toolkits and basic infrastructure for value addition or MFPs such as honey, tamarind, turmeric, and other forest produce. These facilities have improved product quality, enhanced price shelf life, and enabled production of marketable value-added products, resulting in better realization and increased income for tribal artisans and SHG members. These VDVKs have generated income of ₹508.80 lakh through sales for their tribal members in the State of Andhra Pradesh.(d): Under the PMJVM scheme the Ministry of Tribal Affairs notifies Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 87 Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items, applicable across all states, including Andhra Pradesh. The State Implementing Agencies (SIAs) are provided with revolving funds for procurement of MFPs from ST MFP gatherers at the notified MSP in case the market price of MFPs falls below the notified MSP thereby providing a safety net for their efforts in MFP collection. Till date, the Ministry of Tribal Affair has released an amount of Rs 828.75 lakh to SIA-Girijan Cooperative Corporation, Vizag for procurement of MFPs covered under the scheme through which the SIA has procured MFPs of the value of Rs 2,056.59 lakh from ST MFP gatherers in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

(e): The Government proposes to strengthen market access by expanding value addition and branding of Forest Produce through VDVKs, strengthening marketing support through TRIFED and State Implementing Agencies, establishing buyer-seller linkages, participation in exhibitions and onboarding VDVK products on ONDC and TribesIndia.com platforms.

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