Amid the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Tuesday has written to States to sensitize them for undertaking procurement of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in right earnest.
“The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs has written letters to Chief Ministers of 15 States to sensitize respective State Nodal Agencies for undertaking procurement of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in right earnest,” Ministry of Tribal Affairs said in a press note.
These States include Uttar Pradesh; Gujarat; Madhya Pradesh; Karnataka; Maharashtra; Assam; Andhra Pradesh; Kerala; Manipur; Nagaland; West Bengal; Rajasthan; Odisha; Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, it added.
Ministry has set up three teams of officers to prepare the roadmap and take necessary measures for implementation/realization of each of these initiatives to restore growth in economy after the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Regarding Eklavya Model Residential Schools &Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools (EMRS & EMDBS), the Ministry has directed the States to shut all the schools w.e.f 21.03.2020 by rescheduling the holidays in the these Schools till 25.05.2020. Subsequently, in view of full lockdown announced on 24.03.2020; States were directed to completely curtail all activities in the schools.
The Ministry has advised the State Governments / UT Administration to ensure that tribal areas and tribal population are adequately covered by taking all measures.