Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram has urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to return untilised central funds provided to the state government to ensure minimum support price (MSP) on minor forest produces for tribals.
The Centre had provided Rs 49.91 crore in 2014 under the mechanism for marketing of minor forest produce (MFP) through minimum support price and development of value chain of MFP to undertake procurement operations.
Though the state government was provided the sum as revolving fund to undertake procurement for implementation of the scheme, it could utilise only Rs 3.80 crore in the last four years, Oram said in his letter to the chief minister.
The letter was dated December 12 but was circulated among the media today.
"In case the state decides to follow alaternate methods to benefit tribals in this sector, I suggest that the untilised funds may please be refunded with accured interest along with an audit report so that same can be optimally utilised for those states which are implementing the scheme," Oram wrote to Patnaik.
The managing director of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited and a team of officials from the ministry of tribal affairs had interacted with state govenrment officials at a meeting chaired by Odisha chief secretary at Bhubaneswar on September 15, 2017 to discuss about the scheme and its implementation, Oram said.
"I would like Odisha to provide MSP to the tribals of the state at the Haat Bazar level where they bring their forest produces in the sprit of the Govenrment of India Scheme mentioned above," he said adding that it would protect tribals from possible exploitation.
Oram also requested Patnaik to look into the matter and issue suitable direction to concerned officials in the best inetrests of tribals of Odisha.
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