Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Committee Setup by the Panchayatiraj Ministry Recommends Definition of MFP in the IFA

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has requested the Ministry of Environment & Forest to take necessary steps for operationalising the relevant recommendations on the following recommendation of the MFP Committee set up by it to look in to the issues related with the ownership of the Gram Sabha, fair prices, institutional mechanism, value addition, etc. and suggest remedial measures including Ownership, Price fixation, Value addition and Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP):

The definition of MFP in the IFA need to be aligned with the definition given in the FRA. Lack of alignment leads to denial of access to MFP on the ground. Further, ownership of the Gram Sabha, particularly with respect to high value MFP like bamboo and tendu, needs to be ensured. Sensitization of Forest Department officials in this regard also becomes essential.

It may be noted that for numerous forest dwellers across India, particularly people from Scheduled Tribes, Minor Forest Produce (MFP) has significant economic and social value. This important source of livelihood, however, is on the decline due to: MFP resource depletion, progressive loss of ownership/control of the people, issues related to efficiency and transparency of the State MFP agencies, deficient marketing, un-remunerative pricing, little or no local value addition and inequitable value sharing among the stakeholders. As per a Ministry view point, the MFP and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) have got entangled in various ways. Incidentally, 75% of MFP comes from 6 States of MP, Chhattisgarh, AP, Orissa, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the States affected by LWE.

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