In an exclusive chat with Manish Kumar of Orissa POST, Sanat Kumar Mohanty, managing director, Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd, throws light on how to make procurement of Minor Forest Produce from tribal communities more robust and transparent. Excerpts:
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What is the state of procurement of minor forest produce in the current fiscal?
- The procurement season for MFPs is underway. We are collecting mostly Seeded Tamarind, Sal Seeds, Harida and Hillbrooms et al of FAQ standard which are abundantly available in predominantly tribal districts. In the last five years, total value of procurement was worth ₹4.00 crores and this year the procurement has exceeded much more than the total value of MFP procurement in last five years taken together.
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Was there an increase in the amount of procurement during the COVID outbreak?
- Procurement happened in good numbers this year. We have procured Minor Forest Produce worth Rs 20 crore till now with the possibility of reaching the Rs 25 crore mark. In fact, Odisha procures more than any other state except Chhattisgarh. We have made some good robust arrangements in place so that there is no illegal trading. We are procuring forest produces through District Branch Offices which are located in 13 districts. We started procurement during lockdown restrictions and primary forest gatherers have benefited by this MSP scheme.
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How will the agency ensure the welfare of the tribals and SHG workers involved in the process?
- At the grassroot level, there are Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), Van Surakshya Samitis, Self-Help Groups registered as primary procurement agencies. They collect minor forest produce from the primary gatherers who mostly belong to the tribal communities. These agencies supply the forest produce to us. There is provision of two per cent commission to the Self Help Groups (SHGs) & VDVKs for their procurement from the tribal communities. We are procuring the items at MSP decided by the government.
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How do you propose to oust middlemen and traders who want to procure items from tribals at lesser rates?
- We came to know about illegal trade being carried out in some pockets of a few districts where middlemen tried to push the products through SHGs. Hence, we have decided to pay the tribal communities directly through their accounts to reduce the role of middlemen. This year, we have already issued instructions for the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments.
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How will you improve the procurement process?
- In the coming year, we have decided to make the whole procurement process totally automated on the lines of P-PAS and M-PAS. It may not be possible this year as we have already started procuring and it will take some time to setup the system. This will be like the paddy procurement process where farmers are registered with the system. Our field officers will verify the process. This will ensure that the whole process is more transparent and technologically driven.
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Has TDCCOL stopped Sal seed procurement from tribals?
- No, TDCCOL has not taken any decision to stop the procurement this year. In fact, collectors have been requested to take a call based on local conditions. They will assess the local conditions and availability of MFPs and will take a decision regarding stopping of procurement of all MFPs in their districts. We are not taking any call on stopping procurement unilaterally. We have requested the collectors to take a call after local assessment.