DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) launched a ‘van dhan vikas kendra (VDVK)’ and distributed tools and machinery to the newly launched kendra on May 31 at New Showuba village.
The launching programme was organised under the aegis of the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The event was attended by special guest Obed Quinker, Chairman of NBHM, according to a press release.
In his remarks, Quinker highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) for self-help groups, emphasising its role in enhancing their income. He underscored that this scheme presents an opportunity to harness the abundant local resources in the state, ultimately benefiting the community’s livelihoods.
He also talked about the importance of recognising the marketing potential of various minor forest products, such as hill broom and bamboo broom, highlighting their high demand in other parts of the country.
He urged self-help groups to efficiently utilise these resources and strive for greater success. Additionally, Quinker appealed to VanDhan members to work together cohesively and make effective use of the provided tools and machinery.
Further, he stressed the importance of forming VanDhan clusters in villages as a means to generate income and foster self-sustainability among tribal communities in the state.
Mhathung T Tsopoe, project coordinator and team member of NBHM, provided a brief introduction to the PMJVM scheme in his speech, outlining its objectives and guidelines for the VanDhan members.
Khumkiula, the village facilitator, talked about the activities of existing self-help groups in the clusters, followed by a brief speech from the village council secretary, Ananchuba.
