Kurukshetra Magazine September 2022 - 2 | Monthly Yojana & Kurukshetra Magazine (English) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Kurukshetra      September  2022 21
Dr. Tapati Baruah Kashyap
The North-eastern region is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, and each state takes pride 
in a range of cultures and traditions. The percentage of the tribal population in the seven states of the region is also very 
high. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is intended to bring about significant positive changes in the lives of tribal 
communities living in forest areas across the country by way of improving livelihood opportunities for them. This, in turn, is 
expected to cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Changing Lives of North-eastern Tribes
radhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), 
a flagship programme of the Government 
of India, was unveiled by Prime Minister 
Shri Narendra Modi on April 14, 2018. It 
is intended to bring significant positive changes in 
the lives of tribal communities living in forest areas 
across the country by way of improving livelihood 
opportunities for them. This in turn is expected to 
cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people. 
Needless to say, the majority of tribal people across 
India have an inseparable relationship with forests, 
and are dependent on various kinds of minor forest 
produce to earn a living. 
While Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation 
of India (TRIFED), an agency under the Ministry 
of Tribal Affairs is responsible for developing, 
designing and pivoting PMVDY across the country. 
Different organisations have been entrusted with 
the task of implementing it in different states. At 
the grassroots level, tribal community-owned Van 
Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) have been 
set up in the predominantly forested tribal districts, 
with each cluster constituting 15 tribal SHGs/Van 
Dhan Kendras, with the latter comprising up to 20 
tribal forest produce gatherers or artisans. This way 
each Cluster covers about 300 beneficiaries. The 
P
Government of India provides 100 percent funds 
through TRIFED, and each cluster is provided Rs. 15 
lakh to conduct its activities.
The North-eastern region is one of the most 
ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, 
and each state takes pride in a range of cultures 
and traditions. The 2011 Census Report mentions 
135 recognised scheduled tribes and 250 ethnic 
communities in the region. The percentage of tribal 
population in the seven states of the region is also 
very high – Arunachal Pradesh (68), Assam (12.4), 
Manipur (40.9), Meghalaya (86.1), Mizoram (94.4), 
Nagaland (86.5) and Tripura (31.8). 
Several activities are interrelated in making the 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana successful in the 
northeast. These include value addition to various 
minor forest produce available in the respective 
tribal inhabited areas, upgrading skills by imparting 
training, building successful entrepreneurship 
among the communities, and creating a dependable 
market linkage.
Assam
In Assam, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 
is being implemented by three agencies. While 
Page 2


Kurukshetra      September  2022 21
Dr. Tapati Baruah Kashyap
The North-eastern region is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, and each state takes pride 
in a range of cultures and traditions. The percentage of the tribal population in the seven states of the region is also very 
high. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is intended to bring about significant positive changes in the lives of tribal 
communities living in forest areas across the country by way of improving livelihood opportunities for them. This, in turn, is 
expected to cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Changing Lives of North-eastern Tribes
radhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), 
a flagship programme of the Government 
of India, was unveiled by Prime Minister 
Shri Narendra Modi on April 14, 2018. It 
is intended to bring significant positive changes in 
the lives of tribal communities living in forest areas 
across the country by way of improving livelihood 
opportunities for them. This in turn is expected to 
cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people. 
Needless to say, the majority of tribal people across 
India have an inseparable relationship with forests, 
and are dependent on various kinds of minor forest 
produce to earn a living. 
While Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation 
of India (TRIFED), an agency under the Ministry 
of Tribal Affairs is responsible for developing, 
designing and pivoting PMVDY across the country. 
Different organisations have been entrusted with 
the task of implementing it in different states. At 
the grassroots level, tribal community-owned Van 
Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) have been 
set up in the predominantly forested tribal districts, 
with each cluster constituting 15 tribal SHGs/Van 
Dhan Kendras, with the latter comprising up to 20 
tribal forest produce gatherers or artisans. This way 
each Cluster covers about 300 beneficiaries. The 
P
Government of India provides 100 percent funds 
through TRIFED, and each cluster is provided Rs. 15 
lakh to conduct its activities.
The North-eastern region is one of the most 
ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, 
and each state takes pride in a range of cultures 
and traditions. The 2011 Census Report mentions 
135 recognised scheduled tribes and 250 ethnic 
communities in the region. The percentage of tribal 
population in the seven states of the region is also 
very high – Arunachal Pradesh (68), Assam (12.4), 
Manipur (40.9), Meghalaya (86.1), Mizoram (94.4), 
Nagaland (86.5) and Tripura (31.8). 
Several activities are interrelated in making the 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana successful in the 
northeast. These include value addition to various 
minor forest produce available in the respective 
tribal inhabited areas, upgrading skills by imparting 
training, building successful entrepreneurship 
among the communities, and creating a dependable 
market linkage.
Assam
In Assam, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 
is being implemented by three agencies. While 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 22
Welfare of Plain Tribes and Other Backward Classes 
(WPT&BC) department is the nodal agency, Assam 
Plains Tribes Development Corporation (APTDC) 
is the state implementing agency. The Guwahati-
based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), 
on the other hand, is the state resource agency. In 
Assam, over 300 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras covering 
37 districts have been sanctioned till June 2022, of 
which at least 302 Kendras have already become fully 
functional. These cover around 92,119 beneficiaries, 
majority of them being women. 
Formation of cooperative societies among 
the beneficiaries, and training programmes being a 
continuous programme, primary-level production 
has already started in at least 50 Kendras.
The most significant aspect of the Pradhan 
Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in Assam is the 
creation of a brand called TRISSAM in order to bring 
about a uniform identity of all products manufactured 
by the tribal beneficiaries. Launched in September 
2020, the brand has been designed and developed 
by IIE, and marketing has already begun through 
various marketing channels, state and national 
level exhibitions, and fairs. The list of value-added 
MFP products of the PMVDY beneficiaries of Assam 
includes wild honey, black rice, joha (aromatic) rice, 
bora (sticky) rice, aijong rice, muri (puffed rice), chira 
(flattened rice), bhut jolokiya (king chilli), mustard 
oil, black pepper, hill broom, green organic tea, 
jaggery, turmeric powder, bay-leaf/powder, incense 
sticks, jackfruit seed/powder, ginger powder/dry, 
various kinds of squashes and jams, etc.
Manipur
In Manipur, 200 VDVKs have been set up so 
far, with 3,320 SHGs under them covering about 
60,400 beneficiaries, mostly in the tribal-majority 
districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, 
Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl. While mobilisation 
and sensitisation were carried out through cluster-
wise workshops and advocacy programmes, master 
trainers and experts were engaged in cluster-
wise training. The Kendras have already started 
producing various products like fruit candies (of 
amla, wild apple, pineapple, ginger, Burmese grapes, 
plum), jam (of pineapple, amla, plum), pickles (of 
bamboo shoot, king chilli, banana stem, black olive), 
mushroom, spices (dalchini, turmeric, ginger, chilli, 
bay-leaf), banana chips, to name a few. Hill broom, 
common to several other North-eastern states, is 
also another major product of Manipur’s Van Dhan 
Kendras. 
A couple of mobile vans have been also 
provided to sell the products door-to-door in the 
urban centres including Imphal, while the products 
are also being sold online. The concerted efforts 
of all stakeholders have made Manipur a leading 
state in the implementation of PMVDY , and this 
achievement was duly recognised by the central 
government by conferring it the “Champion State” 
title in October, 2020.
With products manufactured by the 
beneficiaries having found good market response, 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has 
emerged as a beacon of change, impacting the 
tribal ecosystem as never before in Manipur. It has 
provided employment to tribal women and improved 
their financial conditions.
Manipur has also bagged five national awards 
during the first Van Dhan Annual Awards, 2020-21 
at the celebration of 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. 
The five awards are Most Proactive State, Best 
Digital Friendly State, Best Sales generated (2
nd
 
Place), the Most number of Van Dhan Vikas Kendra 
established (2
nd 
place), and Best Training (2
nd
 place).  
Several Van Dhan Vikas Kendras of Manipur also 
received a few State Van Dhan Awards at the regional 
level.
Mizoram 
In Mizoram, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras established 
by TRIFED have emerged as new centres of 
livelihood, self-employment and income generation 
for tribal gatherers, forest dwellers and the home-
bound labour and artisans of the state. While 44 
VDVKs were set up in the first phase, 115 VDVKs are 
in the pipeline in the second phase. The programme 
aims to bring about sustainable livelihood for forest-
based tribal people by facilitating skill upgradation, 
capacity building, training, as well as promoting 
value addition to various minor forest produce.
While the Registrar of Cooperatives Societies is 
the implementing and monitoring agency under the 
Department of Cooperation, 46,168 beneficiaries 
under the 159 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras in Mizoram 
are producing hill broom, bamboo shoot, various 
kinds of edible wild fruits, turmeric, amla, bay-leaf, 
ginger, honey, chilli, and aloe vera. 
Page 3


Kurukshetra      September  2022 21
Dr. Tapati Baruah Kashyap
The North-eastern region is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, and each state takes pride 
in a range of cultures and traditions. The percentage of the tribal population in the seven states of the region is also very 
high. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is intended to bring about significant positive changes in the lives of tribal 
communities living in forest areas across the country by way of improving livelihood opportunities for them. This, in turn, is 
expected to cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Changing Lives of North-eastern Tribes
radhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), 
a flagship programme of the Government 
of India, was unveiled by Prime Minister 
Shri Narendra Modi on April 14, 2018. It 
is intended to bring significant positive changes in 
the lives of tribal communities living in forest areas 
across the country by way of improving livelihood 
opportunities for them. This in turn is expected to 
cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people. 
Needless to say, the majority of tribal people across 
India have an inseparable relationship with forests, 
and are dependent on various kinds of minor forest 
produce to earn a living. 
While Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation 
of India (TRIFED), an agency under the Ministry 
of Tribal Affairs is responsible for developing, 
designing and pivoting PMVDY across the country. 
Different organisations have been entrusted with 
the task of implementing it in different states. At 
the grassroots level, tribal community-owned Van 
Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) have been 
set up in the predominantly forested tribal districts, 
with each cluster constituting 15 tribal SHGs/Van 
Dhan Kendras, with the latter comprising up to 20 
tribal forest produce gatherers or artisans. This way 
each Cluster covers about 300 beneficiaries. The 
P
Government of India provides 100 percent funds 
through TRIFED, and each cluster is provided Rs. 15 
lakh to conduct its activities.
The North-eastern region is one of the most 
ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, 
and each state takes pride in a range of cultures 
and traditions. The 2011 Census Report mentions 
135 recognised scheduled tribes and 250 ethnic 
communities in the region. The percentage of tribal 
population in the seven states of the region is also 
very high – Arunachal Pradesh (68), Assam (12.4), 
Manipur (40.9), Meghalaya (86.1), Mizoram (94.4), 
Nagaland (86.5) and Tripura (31.8). 
Several activities are interrelated in making the 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana successful in the 
northeast. These include value addition to various 
minor forest produce available in the respective 
tribal inhabited areas, upgrading skills by imparting 
training, building successful entrepreneurship 
among the communities, and creating a dependable 
market linkage.
Assam
In Assam, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 
is being implemented by three agencies. While 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 22
Welfare of Plain Tribes and Other Backward Classes 
(WPT&BC) department is the nodal agency, Assam 
Plains Tribes Development Corporation (APTDC) 
is the state implementing agency. The Guwahati-
based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), 
on the other hand, is the state resource agency. In 
Assam, over 300 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras covering 
37 districts have been sanctioned till June 2022, of 
which at least 302 Kendras have already become fully 
functional. These cover around 92,119 beneficiaries, 
majority of them being women. 
Formation of cooperative societies among 
the beneficiaries, and training programmes being a 
continuous programme, primary-level production 
has already started in at least 50 Kendras.
The most significant aspect of the Pradhan 
Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in Assam is the 
creation of a brand called TRISSAM in order to bring 
about a uniform identity of all products manufactured 
by the tribal beneficiaries. Launched in September 
2020, the brand has been designed and developed 
by IIE, and marketing has already begun through 
various marketing channels, state and national 
level exhibitions, and fairs. The list of value-added 
MFP products of the PMVDY beneficiaries of Assam 
includes wild honey, black rice, joha (aromatic) rice, 
bora (sticky) rice, aijong rice, muri (puffed rice), chira 
(flattened rice), bhut jolokiya (king chilli), mustard 
oil, black pepper, hill broom, green organic tea, 
jaggery, turmeric powder, bay-leaf/powder, incense 
sticks, jackfruit seed/powder, ginger powder/dry, 
various kinds of squashes and jams, etc.
Manipur
In Manipur, 200 VDVKs have been set up so 
far, with 3,320 SHGs under them covering about 
60,400 beneficiaries, mostly in the tribal-majority 
districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, 
Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl. While mobilisation 
and sensitisation were carried out through cluster-
wise workshops and advocacy programmes, master 
trainers and experts were engaged in cluster-
wise training. The Kendras have already started 
producing various products like fruit candies (of 
amla, wild apple, pineapple, ginger, Burmese grapes, 
plum), jam (of pineapple, amla, plum), pickles (of 
bamboo shoot, king chilli, banana stem, black olive), 
mushroom, spices (dalchini, turmeric, ginger, chilli, 
bay-leaf), banana chips, to name a few. Hill broom, 
common to several other North-eastern states, is 
also another major product of Manipur’s Van Dhan 
Kendras. 
A couple of mobile vans have been also 
provided to sell the products door-to-door in the 
urban centres including Imphal, while the products 
are also being sold online. The concerted efforts 
of all stakeholders have made Manipur a leading 
state in the implementation of PMVDY , and this 
achievement was duly recognised by the central 
government by conferring it the “Champion State” 
title in October, 2020.
With products manufactured by the 
beneficiaries having found good market response, 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has 
emerged as a beacon of change, impacting the 
tribal ecosystem as never before in Manipur. It has 
provided employment to tribal women and improved 
their financial conditions.
Manipur has also bagged five national awards 
during the first Van Dhan Annual Awards, 2020-21 
at the celebration of 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. 
The five awards are Most Proactive State, Best 
Digital Friendly State, Best Sales generated (2
nd
 
Place), the Most number of Van Dhan Vikas Kendra 
established (2
nd 
place), and Best Training (2
nd
 place).  
Several Van Dhan Vikas Kendras of Manipur also 
received a few State Van Dhan Awards at the regional 
level.
Mizoram 
In Mizoram, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras established 
by TRIFED have emerged as new centres of 
livelihood, self-employment and income generation 
for tribal gatherers, forest dwellers and the home-
bound labour and artisans of the state. While 44 
VDVKs were set up in the first phase, 115 VDVKs are 
in the pipeline in the second phase. The programme 
aims to bring about sustainable livelihood for forest-
based tribal people by facilitating skill upgradation, 
capacity building, training, as well as promoting 
value addition to various minor forest produce.
While the Registrar of Cooperatives Societies is 
the implementing and monitoring agency under the 
Department of Cooperation, 46,168 beneficiaries 
under the 159 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras in Mizoram 
are producing hill broom, bamboo shoot, various 
kinds of edible wild fruits, turmeric, amla, bay-leaf, 
ginger, honey, chilli, and aloe vera. 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 23
Nagaland
With the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van 
Dhan Vikas Y ojana in the state, Nagaland has emerged 
as another example of tribal entrepreneurship 
that has showcased to the entire country how 
cluster development and value addition can help 
members earn significantly higher income. Nagaland 
has 206 Van Dhan clusters covering over 61,800 
beneficiaries. Three agencies – the Directorate of 
Under-Developed Areas (DUDA), Nagaland State 
Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation 
Ltd. (MARCOFED) and Nagaland Bee-keeping and 
Honey Mission – are jointly implementing the yojana. 
The Van Dhan clusters have also emerged as new 
centres of economic empowerment for the tribal 
communities by way of receiving support in terms of 
financial capital, training, mentoring, etc. in order to 
expand their business and enhance earnings. 
The range of products of the Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras of Nagaland includes wild honey, amla, 
nutgall, lac, ginger, turmeric, hill broom, bael, 
neem seeds, shikakai seeds, oyster mushroom, 
nagarmotha (nut grass), and shatavari (asparagus), 
to name a few. 
While these products have become popular in 
Kohima and other urban centres of the state, the 
annual Hornbill Festival held at the Kisama tourist 
village in December has emerged as the major event 
where tourists and visitors buy these products. 
The VDVY and MSP for Minor Forest Produce 
(MFP) scheme focus on farmers’ entrepreneurship 
programmes through processing, packaging, 
branding and marketing of locally available products, 
with Nagaland topping in three categories – Best 
Survey, Best Training and the most number of Van 
Dhan Vikas Clusters (VDVKCs) established on the 
occasion of the 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. The 
state also secured the third position in Best Sales 
Generated and Innovation and Creativity.
Tripura
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in 
Tripura was launched in January 2020 with a central 
grant of Rs. 2.26 crore. While 17 Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras covering 4,256 beneficiaries under 249 
SHGs were set up in the first phase, ten more VDVKs 
were set up, taking the number of beneficiaries up 
to 8,100. The VDVKs provide support for setting 
up sheds, tool kits are provided, and training is 
imparted. During 2020-21, ten more VDVKs have 
been set up, and each VDVK provided pucca sheds, 
warehouses for storage, and add-on equipment 
etc. The Yojana is being implemented by Tripura 
Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation and Tripura 
Rural Livelihood Mission under the Tribal Welfare 
and Forest departments.
Van Dhan Yojana Bringing Smiles
Suprasad Swargiary, a retired primary school teacher, associated with Dhanubhanga Kendra in Goalpara district 
said after undergoing training, members of their Kendra have been producing various products from local forest 
produce like blackberries, jackfruits, pineapples, bay-leaves, neem seeds, and bamboo sticks, and bamboo. A 
section of women of Dhanubhanga Kendra have been making bamboo jewellery, which is marketed through the 
TRISSAM network of IIE.
“The average income of the villagers has gone up. At the moment the increase in income is not very big. But then, 
every passing month the income is increasing,” he said. The Dhanubhanga Kendra, which covers about 30 hamlets 
under Dhanubhanga gram panchayat, has 303 beneficiaries- the majority of them being women. 
Jahnabi Boro, Cluster Development Executive of Rangapara Kendra in Sonitpur district said there are 306 
beneficiaries. “Our members have undergone four training programmes under IIE, one of which was for 30 days. 
Our members have been making pickles, juice and jam from locally available fruits and vegetables including bhut 
jolokiya or king chilli, apart from incense sticks.
According to Jayanti Rabha of Bahupara Kendra in Kamrup district, 300 members of the Kendra have been 
manufacturing various food products from rice. These include various kinds of laddoos and traditional pitha, 
apart from chira and moori and black-rice cake. “Our villages being located on the outskirts of Guwahati, we 
have the advantage of a huge market close by. As such, our members also make papad and pickles, all of which 
are sold under the TRISSAM brand name”, she said. 
Page 4


Kurukshetra      September  2022 21
Dr. Tapati Baruah Kashyap
The North-eastern region is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, and each state takes pride 
in a range of cultures and traditions. The percentage of the tribal population in the seven states of the region is also very 
high. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is intended to bring about significant positive changes in the lives of tribal 
communities living in forest areas across the country by way of improving livelihood opportunities for them. This, in turn, is 
expected to cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Changing Lives of North-eastern Tribes
radhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), 
a flagship programme of the Government 
of India, was unveiled by Prime Minister 
Shri Narendra Modi on April 14, 2018. It 
is intended to bring significant positive changes in 
the lives of tribal communities living in forest areas 
across the country by way of improving livelihood 
opportunities for them. This in turn is expected to 
cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people. 
Needless to say, the majority of tribal people across 
India have an inseparable relationship with forests, 
and are dependent on various kinds of minor forest 
produce to earn a living. 
While Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation 
of India (TRIFED), an agency under the Ministry 
of Tribal Affairs is responsible for developing, 
designing and pivoting PMVDY across the country. 
Different organisations have been entrusted with 
the task of implementing it in different states. At 
the grassroots level, tribal community-owned Van 
Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) have been 
set up in the predominantly forested tribal districts, 
with each cluster constituting 15 tribal SHGs/Van 
Dhan Kendras, with the latter comprising up to 20 
tribal forest produce gatherers or artisans. This way 
each Cluster covers about 300 beneficiaries. The 
P
Government of India provides 100 percent funds 
through TRIFED, and each cluster is provided Rs. 15 
lakh to conduct its activities.
The North-eastern region is one of the most 
ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, 
and each state takes pride in a range of cultures 
and traditions. The 2011 Census Report mentions 
135 recognised scheduled tribes and 250 ethnic 
communities in the region. The percentage of tribal 
population in the seven states of the region is also 
very high – Arunachal Pradesh (68), Assam (12.4), 
Manipur (40.9), Meghalaya (86.1), Mizoram (94.4), 
Nagaland (86.5) and Tripura (31.8). 
Several activities are interrelated in making the 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana successful in the 
northeast. These include value addition to various 
minor forest produce available in the respective 
tribal inhabited areas, upgrading skills by imparting 
training, building successful entrepreneurship 
among the communities, and creating a dependable 
market linkage.
Assam
In Assam, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 
is being implemented by three agencies. While 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 22
Welfare of Plain Tribes and Other Backward Classes 
(WPT&BC) department is the nodal agency, Assam 
Plains Tribes Development Corporation (APTDC) 
is the state implementing agency. The Guwahati-
based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), 
on the other hand, is the state resource agency. In 
Assam, over 300 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras covering 
37 districts have been sanctioned till June 2022, of 
which at least 302 Kendras have already become fully 
functional. These cover around 92,119 beneficiaries, 
majority of them being women. 
Formation of cooperative societies among 
the beneficiaries, and training programmes being a 
continuous programme, primary-level production 
has already started in at least 50 Kendras.
The most significant aspect of the Pradhan 
Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in Assam is the 
creation of a brand called TRISSAM in order to bring 
about a uniform identity of all products manufactured 
by the tribal beneficiaries. Launched in September 
2020, the brand has been designed and developed 
by IIE, and marketing has already begun through 
various marketing channels, state and national 
level exhibitions, and fairs. The list of value-added 
MFP products of the PMVDY beneficiaries of Assam 
includes wild honey, black rice, joha (aromatic) rice, 
bora (sticky) rice, aijong rice, muri (puffed rice), chira 
(flattened rice), bhut jolokiya (king chilli), mustard 
oil, black pepper, hill broom, green organic tea, 
jaggery, turmeric powder, bay-leaf/powder, incense 
sticks, jackfruit seed/powder, ginger powder/dry, 
various kinds of squashes and jams, etc.
Manipur
In Manipur, 200 VDVKs have been set up so 
far, with 3,320 SHGs under them covering about 
60,400 beneficiaries, mostly in the tribal-majority 
districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, 
Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl. While mobilisation 
and sensitisation were carried out through cluster-
wise workshops and advocacy programmes, master 
trainers and experts were engaged in cluster-
wise training. The Kendras have already started 
producing various products like fruit candies (of 
amla, wild apple, pineapple, ginger, Burmese grapes, 
plum), jam (of pineapple, amla, plum), pickles (of 
bamboo shoot, king chilli, banana stem, black olive), 
mushroom, spices (dalchini, turmeric, ginger, chilli, 
bay-leaf), banana chips, to name a few. Hill broom, 
common to several other North-eastern states, is 
also another major product of Manipur’s Van Dhan 
Kendras. 
A couple of mobile vans have been also 
provided to sell the products door-to-door in the 
urban centres including Imphal, while the products 
are also being sold online. The concerted efforts 
of all stakeholders have made Manipur a leading 
state in the implementation of PMVDY , and this 
achievement was duly recognised by the central 
government by conferring it the “Champion State” 
title in October, 2020.
With products manufactured by the 
beneficiaries having found good market response, 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has 
emerged as a beacon of change, impacting the 
tribal ecosystem as never before in Manipur. It has 
provided employment to tribal women and improved 
their financial conditions.
Manipur has also bagged five national awards 
during the first Van Dhan Annual Awards, 2020-21 
at the celebration of 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. 
The five awards are Most Proactive State, Best 
Digital Friendly State, Best Sales generated (2
nd
 
Place), the Most number of Van Dhan Vikas Kendra 
established (2
nd 
place), and Best Training (2
nd
 place).  
Several Van Dhan Vikas Kendras of Manipur also 
received a few State Van Dhan Awards at the regional 
level.
Mizoram 
In Mizoram, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras established 
by TRIFED have emerged as new centres of 
livelihood, self-employment and income generation 
for tribal gatherers, forest dwellers and the home-
bound labour and artisans of the state. While 44 
VDVKs were set up in the first phase, 115 VDVKs are 
in the pipeline in the second phase. The programme 
aims to bring about sustainable livelihood for forest-
based tribal people by facilitating skill upgradation, 
capacity building, training, as well as promoting 
value addition to various minor forest produce.
While the Registrar of Cooperatives Societies is 
the implementing and monitoring agency under the 
Department of Cooperation, 46,168 beneficiaries 
under the 159 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras in Mizoram 
are producing hill broom, bamboo shoot, various 
kinds of edible wild fruits, turmeric, amla, bay-leaf, 
ginger, honey, chilli, and aloe vera. 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 23
Nagaland
With the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van 
Dhan Vikas Y ojana in the state, Nagaland has emerged 
as another example of tribal entrepreneurship 
that has showcased to the entire country how 
cluster development and value addition can help 
members earn significantly higher income. Nagaland 
has 206 Van Dhan clusters covering over 61,800 
beneficiaries. Three agencies – the Directorate of 
Under-Developed Areas (DUDA), Nagaland State 
Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation 
Ltd. (MARCOFED) and Nagaland Bee-keeping and 
Honey Mission – are jointly implementing the yojana. 
The Van Dhan clusters have also emerged as new 
centres of economic empowerment for the tribal 
communities by way of receiving support in terms of 
financial capital, training, mentoring, etc. in order to 
expand their business and enhance earnings. 
The range of products of the Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras of Nagaland includes wild honey, amla, 
nutgall, lac, ginger, turmeric, hill broom, bael, 
neem seeds, shikakai seeds, oyster mushroom, 
nagarmotha (nut grass), and shatavari (asparagus), 
to name a few. 
While these products have become popular in 
Kohima and other urban centres of the state, the 
annual Hornbill Festival held at the Kisama tourist 
village in December has emerged as the major event 
where tourists and visitors buy these products. 
The VDVY and MSP for Minor Forest Produce 
(MFP) scheme focus on farmers’ entrepreneurship 
programmes through processing, packaging, 
branding and marketing of locally available products, 
with Nagaland topping in three categories – Best 
Survey, Best Training and the most number of Van 
Dhan Vikas Clusters (VDVKCs) established on the 
occasion of the 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. The 
state also secured the third position in Best Sales 
Generated and Innovation and Creativity.
Tripura
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in 
Tripura was launched in January 2020 with a central 
grant of Rs. 2.26 crore. While 17 Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras covering 4,256 beneficiaries under 249 
SHGs were set up in the first phase, ten more VDVKs 
were set up, taking the number of beneficiaries up 
to 8,100. The VDVKs provide support for setting 
up sheds, tool kits are provided, and training is 
imparted. During 2020-21, ten more VDVKs have 
been set up, and each VDVK provided pucca sheds, 
warehouses for storage, and add-on equipment 
etc. The Yojana is being implemented by Tripura 
Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation and Tripura 
Rural Livelihood Mission under the Tribal Welfare 
and Forest departments.
Van Dhan Yojana Bringing Smiles
Suprasad Swargiary, a retired primary school teacher, associated with Dhanubhanga Kendra in Goalpara district 
said after undergoing training, members of their Kendra have been producing various products from local forest 
produce like blackberries, jackfruits, pineapples, bay-leaves, neem seeds, and bamboo sticks, and bamboo. A 
section of women of Dhanubhanga Kendra have been making bamboo jewellery, which is marketed through the 
TRISSAM network of IIE.
“The average income of the villagers has gone up. At the moment the increase in income is not very big. But then, 
every passing month the income is increasing,” he said. The Dhanubhanga Kendra, which covers about 30 hamlets 
under Dhanubhanga gram panchayat, has 303 beneficiaries- the majority of them being women. 
Jahnabi Boro, Cluster Development Executive of Rangapara Kendra in Sonitpur district said there are 306 
beneficiaries. “Our members have undergone four training programmes under IIE, one of which was for 30 days. 
Our members have been making pickles, juice and jam from locally available fruits and vegetables including bhut 
jolokiya or king chilli, apart from incense sticks.
According to Jayanti Rabha of Bahupara Kendra in Kamrup district, 300 members of the Kendra have been 
manufacturing various food products from rice. These include various kinds of laddoos and traditional pitha, 
apart from chira and moori and black-rice cake. “Our villages being located on the outskirts of Guwahati, we 
have the advantage of a huge market close by. As such, our members also make papad and pickles, all of which 
are sold under the TRISSAM brand name”, she said. 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 24
Sweeping Success
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana has brought about an exponential increase in income, and thus has transformed 
lives of several hundred tribal families across 16 districts of the state. One single item which has emerged as 
game-changer for these families is the hill broom, available in huge quantities across the hill state.
Take for example; Longleng which is said to be one of the most backward districts of Nagaland. Till a few years 
ago, villagers belonging to the Phom tribe of Langleng, used to sell their unique hill broom grass for just Rs. 
7 per kg. With support from the Van Dhan Yojana, they now earn Rs. 60 per broom. They can make four or 
five broomswith one kg of broom grass. According to an official in Nagaland’s Department for Development of 
Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA), hill-brooms are in high demand everywhere because they are sturdier and of finer 
quality. But, till the arrival of the Van Dhan Yojana, unscrupulous middlemen and traders were making all the 
money by dictating the price.
The hill broom intervention of Van Dhan Yojana has transformed lives of tribal villages in Longleng and other 
backward districts of Nagaland by increasing their income. Though hill broom grass is traditionally collected 
only during December-February, villagers have already started earning a handsome amount by collecting the 
broom grass during these three months in the VDV Kendras, and manufacturing, selling brooms round the year. 
During the COVID-19 lockdown, hill broom turned out to be a life-saver for tribal villages in several districts of 
Nagaland, with people processing, storing and selling their brooms within their respective villages, rather than 
having to go out to look for a market.
With the hill broom experiment working wonders, Nagaland’s DUDA has announced the creation of seven VDVKs 
and through the SHG network, to exclusively engage in collection of 300 metric tons of hill broom between 
November 2022 and May 2023, particularly from Longleng, Mon and Tuensang districts and market them 
countrywide through the TRIFED network. TRIFED has meanwhile also launched a hill broom plantation drive 
in Nagaland, which in turn has also promised to stop jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation in more areas of the  
state.
Some of the items that the beneficiaries 
have started producing by way of value addition 
of different minor forest produces are – honey, 
hill broom, spices, pickles, jam, juices and various 
bamboo products, apart from betel nut, tamarind, 
sal leaves, neem seed, jamun and amla.
One item manufactured by PMVDY beneficiaries 
of Tripura which has already attracted countrywide 
attention is the bamboo water bottle. An innovation 
of the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute 
(Tripura), tribal artisans have found this unique eco-
friendly water bottle as a major income-generating 
item under PMVDY . Bamboo cultivation has 
remained a sustainable livelihood option for about 
5,000 tribal families of Tripura, and value-addition of 
various bamboo items under PMVDY has begun to 
redefine the lives of the poor tribal communities. 
Meghalaya
Meghalaya and TRIFED have signed an MoU for 
implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan 
Yojana only in January 2021, with the Department 
of Planning as the nodal agency and Meghalaya 
Basin Management Agency as implementing agency. 
Thirty-nine VKDK clusters have been set up so far, 
covering 585 self-help groups with a little over 
11,000 beneficiaries. Some of the products include 
hill broom, bay-leaf, wild honey, black pepper, 
cinnamon, packing leaves, edible wild nuts and of 
course jams and pickles of various edible wild fruits 
like blackberry, gooseberry, wild olive, soh broi 
(Ziziphus) and sohphie. Meghalaya being a leading 
producer of plum, pineapple, orange, apricot, litchi, 
kiwi, jackfruit, peach, pear, etc, the VKDKs have also 
identified these for value addition under the Yojana. 
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh, a late entrant into the Van 
Dhan Yojana programme, has signed an MoU with 
TRIFED in March 2021. The state Rural Development 
department has been made the nodal agency for 
the implementation of this scheme, while Arunachal 
Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM) is 
the State Implementation Agency. At least 85 VDVK 
clusters have been set up in the first year, and 1,275 
SHGs have been brought under their umbrella, 
covering an estimated 25,000 beneficiaries.
(The author is a Guwahati-based writer. Views 
expressed are personal. Email: tapatibkashyap@
gmail.com)
Page 5


Kurukshetra      September  2022 21
Dr. Tapati Baruah Kashyap
The North-eastern region is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, and each state takes pride 
in a range of cultures and traditions. The percentage of the tribal population in the seven states of the region is also very 
high. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is intended to bring about significant positive changes in the lives of tribal 
communities living in forest areas across the country by way of improving livelihood opportunities for them. This, in turn, is 
expected to cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Changing Lives of North-eastern Tribes
radhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), 
a flagship programme of the Government 
of India, was unveiled by Prime Minister 
Shri Narendra Modi on April 14, 2018. It 
is intended to bring significant positive changes in 
the lives of tribal communities living in forest areas 
across the country by way of improving livelihood 
opportunities for them. This in turn is expected to 
cause a socio-economic upliftment of the people. 
Needless to say, the majority of tribal people across 
India have an inseparable relationship with forests, 
and are dependent on various kinds of minor forest 
produce to earn a living. 
While Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation 
of India (TRIFED), an agency under the Ministry 
of Tribal Affairs is responsible for developing, 
designing and pivoting PMVDY across the country. 
Different organisations have been entrusted with 
the task of implementing it in different states. At 
the grassroots level, tribal community-owned Van 
Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) have been 
set up in the predominantly forested tribal districts, 
with each cluster constituting 15 tribal SHGs/Van 
Dhan Kendras, with the latter comprising up to 20 
tribal forest produce gatherers or artisans. This way 
each Cluster covers about 300 beneficiaries. The 
P
Government of India provides 100 percent funds 
through TRIFED, and each cluster is provided Rs. 15 
lakh to conduct its activities.
The North-eastern region is one of the most 
ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, 
and each state takes pride in a range of cultures 
and traditions. The 2011 Census Report mentions 
135 recognised scheduled tribes and 250 ethnic 
communities in the region. The percentage of tribal 
population in the seven states of the region is also 
very high – Arunachal Pradesh (68), Assam (12.4), 
Manipur (40.9), Meghalaya (86.1), Mizoram (94.4), 
Nagaland (86.5) and Tripura (31.8). 
Several activities are interrelated in making the 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana successful in the 
northeast. These include value addition to various 
minor forest produce available in the respective 
tribal inhabited areas, upgrading skills by imparting 
training, building successful entrepreneurship 
among the communities, and creating a dependable 
market linkage.
Assam
In Assam, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana 
is being implemented by three agencies. While 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 22
Welfare of Plain Tribes and Other Backward Classes 
(WPT&BC) department is the nodal agency, Assam 
Plains Tribes Development Corporation (APTDC) 
is the state implementing agency. The Guwahati-
based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), 
on the other hand, is the state resource agency. In 
Assam, over 300 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras covering 
37 districts have been sanctioned till June 2022, of 
which at least 302 Kendras have already become fully 
functional. These cover around 92,119 beneficiaries, 
majority of them being women. 
Formation of cooperative societies among 
the beneficiaries, and training programmes being a 
continuous programme, primary-level production 
has already started in at least 50 Kendras.
The most significant aspect of the Pradhan 
Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in Assam is the 
creation of a brand called TRISSAM in order to bring 
about a uniform identity of all products manufactured 
by the tribal beneficiaries. Launched in September 
2020, the brand has been designed and developed 
by IIE, and marketing has already begun through 
various marketing channels, state and national 
level exhibitions, and fairs. The list of value-added 
MFP products of the PMVDY beneficiaries of Assam 
includes wild honey, black rice, joha (aromatic) rice, 
bora (sticky) rice, aijong rice, muri (puffed rice), chira 
(flattened rice), bhut jolokiya (king chilli), mustard 
oil, black pepper, hill broom, green organic tea, 
jaggery, turmeric powder, bay-leaf/powder, incense 
sticks, jackfruit seed/powder, ginger powder/dry, 
various kinds of squashes and jams, etc.
Manipur
In Manipur, 200 VDVKs have been set up so 
far, with 3,320 SHGs under them covering about 
60,400 beneficiaries, mostly in the tribal-majority 
districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, 
Noney, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl. While mobilisation 
and sensitisation were carried out through cluster-
wise workshops and advocacy programmes, master 
trainers and experts were engaged in cluster-
wise training. The Kendras have already started 
producing various products like fruit candies (of 
amla, wild apple, pineapple, ginger, Burmese grapes, 
plum), jam (of pineapple, amla, plum), pickles (of 
bamboo shoot, king chilli, banana stem, black olive), 
mushroom, spices (dalchini, turmeric, ginger, chilli, 
bay-leaf), banana chips, to name a few. Hill broom, 
common to several other North-eastern states, is 
also another major product of Manipur’s Van Dhan 
Kendras. 
A couple of mobile vans have been also 
provided to sell the products door-to-door in the 
urban centres including Imphal, while the products 
are also being sold online. The concerted efforts 
of all stakeholders have made Manipur a leading 
state in the implementation of PMVDY , and this 
achievement was duly recognised by the central 
government by conferring it the “Champion State” 
title in October, 2020.
With products manufactured by the 
beneficiaries having found good market response, 
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has 
emerged as a beacon of change, impacting the 
tribal ecosystem as never before in Manipur. It has 
provided employment to tribal women and improved 
their financial conditions.
Manipur has also bagged five national awards 
during the first Van Dhan Annual Awards, 2020-21 
at the celebration of 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. 
The five awards are Most Proactive State, Best 
Digital Friendly State, Best Sales generated (2
nd
 
Place), the Most number of Van Dhan Vikas Kendra 
established (2
nd 
place), and Best Training (2
nd
 place).  
Several Van Dhan Vikas Kendras of Manipur also 
received a few State Van Dhan Awards at the regional 
level.
Mizoram 
In Mizoram, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras established 
by TRIFED have emerged as new centres of 
livelihood, self-employment and income generation 
for tribal gatherers, forest dwellers and the home-
bound labour and artisans of the state. While 44 
VDVKs were set up in the first phase, 115 VDVKs are 
in the pipeline in the second phase. The programme 
aims to bring about sustainable livelihood for forest-
based tribal people by facilitating skill upgradation, 
capacity building, training, as well as promoting 
value addition to various minor forest produce.
While the Registrar of Cooperatives Societies is 
the implementing and monitoring agency under the 
Department of Cooperation, 46,168 beneficiaries 
under the 159 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras in Mizoram 
are producing hill broom, bamboo shoot, various 
kinds of edible wild fruits, turmeric, amla, bay-leaf, 
ginger, honey, chilli, and aloe vera. 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 23
Nagaland
With the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van 
Dhan Vikas Y ojana in the state, Nagaland has emerged 
as another example of tribal entrepreneurship 
that has showcased to the entire country how 
cluster development and value addition can help 
members earn significantly higher income. Nagaland 
has 206 Van Dhan clusters covering over 61,800 
beneficiaries. Three agencies – the Directorate of 
Under-Developed Areas (DUDA), Nagaland State 
Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation 
Ltd. (MARCOFED) and Nagaland Bee-keeping and 
Honey Mission – are jointly implementing the yojana. 
The Van Dhan clusters have also emerged as new 
centres of economic empowerment for the tribal 
communities by way of receiving support in terms of 
financial capital, training, mentoring, etc. in order to 
expand their business and enhance earnings. 
The range of products of the Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras of Nagaland includes wild honey, amla, 
nutgall, lac, ginger, turmeric, hill broom, bael, 
neem seeds, shikakai seeds, oyster mushroom, 
nagarmotha (nut grass), and shatavari (asparagus), 
to name a few. 
While these products have become popular in 
Kohima and other urban centres of the state, the 
annual Hornbill Festival held at the Kisama tourist 
village in December has emerged as the major event 
where tourists and visitors buy these products. 
The VDVY and MSP for Minor Forest Produce 
(MFP) scheme focus on farmers’ entrepreneurship 
programmes through processing, packaging, 
branding and marketing of locally available products, 
with Nagaland topping in three categories – Best 
Survey, Best Training and the most number of Van 
Dhan Vikas Clusters (VDVKCs) established on the 
occasion of the 34
th
 foundation day of TRIFED. The 
state also secured the third position in Best Sales 
Generated and Innovation and Creativity.
Tripura
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana programme in 
Tripura was launched in January 2020 with a central 
grant of Rs. 2.26 crore. While 17 Van Dhan Vikas 
Kendras covering 4,256 beneficiaries under 249 
SHGs were set up in the first phase, ten more VDVKs 
were set up, taking the number of beneficiaries up 
to 8,100. The VDVKs provide support for setting 
up sheds, tool kits are provided, and training is 
imparted. During 2020-21, ten more VDVKs have 
been set up, and each VDVK provided pucca sheds, 
warehouses for storage, and add-on equipment 
etc. The Yojana is being implemented by Tripura 
Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation and Tripura 
Rural Livelihood Mission under the Tribal Welfare 
and Forest departments.
Van Dhan Yojana Bringing Smiles
Suprasad Swargiary, a retired primary school teacher, associated with Dhanubhanga Kendra in Goalpara district 
said after undergoing training, members of their Kendra have been producing various products from local forest 
produce like blackberries, jackfruits, pineapples, bay-leaves, neem seeds, and bamboo sticks, and bamboo. A 
section of women of Dhanubhanga Kendra have been making bamboo jewellery, which is marketed through the 
TRISSAM network of IIE.
“The average income of the villagers has gone up. At the moment the increase in income is not very big. But then, 
every passing month the income is increasing,” he said. The Dhanubhanga Kendra, which covers about 30 hamlets 
under Dhanubhanga gram panchayat, has 303 beneficiaries- the majority of them being women. 
Jahnabi Boro, Cluster Development Executive of Rangapara Kendra in Sonitpur district said there are 306 
beneficiaries. “Our members have undergone four training programmes under IIE, one of which was for 30 days. 
Our members have been making pickles, juice and jam from locally available fruits and vegetables including bhut 
jolokiya or king chilli, apart from incense sticks.
According to Jayanti Rabha of Bahupara Kendra in Kamrup district, 300 members of the Kendra have been 
manufacturing various food products from rice. These include various kinds of laddoos and traditional pitha, 
apart from chira and moori and black-rice cake. “Our villages being located on the outskirts of Guwahati, we 
have the advantage of a huge market close by. As such, our members also make papad and pickles, all of which 
are sold under the TRISSAM brand name”, she said. 
Kurukshetra      September  2022 24
Sweeping Success
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana has brought about an exponential increase in income, and thus has transformed 
lives of several hundred tribal families across 16 districts of the state. One single item which has emerged as 
game-changer for these families is the hill broom, available in huge quantities across the hill state.
Take for example; Longleng which is said to be one of the most backward districts of Nagaland. Till a few years 
ago, villagers belonging to the Phom tribe of Langleng, used to sell their unique hill broom grass for just Rs. 
7 per kg. With support from the Van Dhan Yojana, they now earn Rs. 60 per broom. They can make four or 
five broomswith one kg of broom grass. According to an official in Nagaland’s Department for Development of 
Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA), hill-brooms are in high demand everywhere because they are sturdier and of finer 
quality. But, till the arrival of the Van Dhan Yojana, unscrupulous middlemen and traders were making all the 
money by dictating the price.
The hill broom intervention of Van Dhan Yojana has transformed lives of tribal villages in Longleng and other 
backward districts of Nagaland by increasing their income. Though hill broom grass is traditionally collected 
only during December-February, villagers have already started earning a handsome amount by collecting the 
broom grass during these three months in the VDV Kendras, and manufacturing, selling brooms round the year. 
During the COVID-19 lockdown, hill broom turned out to be a life-saver for tribal villages in several districts of 
Nagaland, with people processing, storing and selling their brooms within their respective villages, rather than 
having to go out to look for a market.
With the hill broom experiment working wonders, Nagaland’s DUDA has announced the creation of seven VDVKs 
and through the SHG network, to exclusively engage in collection of 300 metric tons of hill broom between 
November 2022 and May 2023, particularly from Longleng, Mon and Tuensang districts and market them 
countrywide through the TRIFED network. TRIFED has meanwhile also launched a hill broom plantation drive 
in Nagaland, which in turn has also promised to stop jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation in more areas of the  
state.
Some of the items that the beneficiaries 
have started producing by way of value addition 
of different minor forest produces are – honey, 
hill broom, spices, pickles, jam, juices and various 
bamboo products, apart from betel nut, tamarind, 
sal leaves, neem seed, jamun and amla.
One item manufactured by PMVDY beneficiaries 
of Tripura which has already attracted countrywide 
attention is the bamboo water bottle. An innovation 
of the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute 
(Tripura), tribal artisans have found this unique eco-
friendly water bottle as a major income-generating 
item under PMVDY . Bamboo cultivation has 
remained a sustainable livelihood option for about 
5,000 tribal families of Tripura, and value-addition of 
various bamboo items under PMVDY has begun to 
redefine the lives of the poor tribal communities. 
Meghalaya
Meghalaya and TRIFED have signed an MoU for 
implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan 
Yojana only in January 2021, with the Department 
of Planning as the nodal agency and Meghalaya 
Basin Management Agency as implementing agency. 
Thirty-nine VKDK clusters have been set up so far, 
covering 585 self-help groups with a little over 
11,000 beneficiaries. Some of the products include 
hill broom, bay-leaf, wild honey, black pepper, 
cinnamon, packing leaves, edible wild nuts and of 
course jams and pickles of various edible wild fruits 
like blackberry, gooseberry, wild olive, soh broi 
(Ziziphus) and sohphie. Meghalaya being a leading 
producer of plum, pineapple, orange, apricot, litchi, 
kiwi, jackfruit, peach, pear, etc, the VKDKs have also 
identified these for value addition under the Yojana. 
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh, a late entrant into the Van 
Dhan Yojana programme, has signed an MoU with 
TRIFED in March 2021. The state Rural Development 
department has been made the nodal agency for 
the implementation of this scheme, while Arunachal 
Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM) is 
the State Implementation Agency. At least 85 VDVK 
clusters have been set up in the first year, and 1,275 
SHGs have been brought under their umbrella, 
covering an estimated 25,000 beneficiaries.
(The author is a Guwahati-based writer. Views 
expressed are personal. Email: tapatibkashyap@
gmail.com)
Kurukshetra      September  2022 26
Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting
Government of India