CM Vishnu Dev Sai : There is a deep connection between tribal society and forests, both complement each other and have been conserved and nurtured together. It is in the lap of nature that the progress of tribal society has taken place from generation to generation. In this context, CM Vishnu Dev Sai, speaking at a workshop jointly organised by and Climate Change at Nava Raipur, said that this platform will pave the way for economic empowerment of tribal communities and forests by keeping their co-existence at the centre.
Welcoming the subject experts, officials and dignitaries present in the workshop, the Chief Minister said that it is the responsibility of all of us to provide adequate livelihood opportunities to the tribal society. He informed that tribal communities constitute 32% of the total population of Chhattisgarh and 44% of the landmass is forested, which reflects the social and economic fabric of the region.
Atal ji’s efforts have given direction to tribal welfare
CM Vishnu Dev Sai said that he has seen the struggles and challenges of the tribal society from close quarters in his 35 years of public life. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee understood the problems of the tribals and established Chhattisgarh as a tribal-dominated state. He formed a separate ministry for tribal welfare, which ensured better utilization of the assistance sent by the central government and gave a new direction to development in the state.
Move from forest produce to self-reliance
CM Vishnu Dev Sai said that 67 types of minor forest produce are being collected, processed and sold by women self-help groups in the state. These groups are getting economically empowered due to the encouraging policies of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He thanked the Prime Minister for the PM-Janman Yojana and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, which are being run for the livelihood and upliftment of particularly vulnerable tribal groups.
CM Vishnu Dev Sai said that this workshop of NITI Aayog and Forest Department will help in connecting the tribal society with technological innovations and strengthening their economic condition. Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap also highlighted the importance of the workshop and informed that priority is being given to employment generation through proper utilization of forest resources and maintaining ecological balance.
Overview of Forest Products Stalls
CM Vishnu Dev Sai visited the stalls related to forest products in the Aranya Bhawan premises. During this time, the Leaf Plate Technology team from Hyderabad presented him a dinner set made of leaves. Shri B. R. Rao from Bijapur gave an account of his efforts to conserve and distribute free seeds of herbal plants under the ‘Gamla Se Jungle Ki Aur’ campaign, which was appreciated by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister also witnessed the activities of other groups including Amarwa Bamboo Processing Centre of Balodabazar and Lakh Utpadak Kisan Samiti Kanker and encouraged their initiatives.
Shri Surendra Mehta, Advisor, NITI Aayog, Shri Sonmani Bora, Principal Secretary, Forest Force, Shri V. Srinivasa Rao, Chief of Forest Force along with experts, officials and representatives of tribal society from various states were present on the occasion.