Tura, July 9: The Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) on Wednesday hosted a one-day orientation and advocacy programme on Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) under the Prime Minister’s Van Dhan Yojana (PMJVM) at Hotel Polo Orchid, Tura.
Organised for cooperative members, project staff and district project managers from across the Garo Hills region, the session aimed to strengthen tribal livelihoods through forest-based economic activities.
The programme featured key speakers including Sourav Bose, Assistant General Manager, MBMA and Nodal Officer for PMJVM; Dr. Dinesh Yadav, Consultant with mentoring agency Ernst & Young and Raj Vashisth, Team Leader of PMJVM PMU, Shillong.
Speaking at the event, Sourav Bose said the goal is to promote and process minor forest produce (MFP) into high-value products like Moringa powder, dried blood fruit and Carambola jam.
Bose added in his speech that the Van Dhan Yojana is about more than just income it is about economic dignity for tribal communities.
In a conversation with Hub News after the event, Bose highlighted the potential of the Garo Hills, home to 60 of the state’s 130 functional VDVKs.
He also spotlighted traditional medicinal plants, especially the Me’gong flower (Clerodendrum colebrookianum), known for its health properties and cultural significance. “We celebrate the Me’gong Festival and we have this beautiful Me’gong flower. Do you know that Gulal the coloured powder used in the Holi festival can be made from that flower? Imagine the Me’gong flowers of Garo Hills being exported and purchased by companies,” said Mr. Bose, highlighting the untapped potential of traditional resources.
The programme also touched on the state’s larger vision to develop VDVKs into full-scale MSME clusters, linking indigenous knowledge with entrepreneurship.
The Van Dhan Yojana, launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and implemented by TRIFED, has contributed significantly to forest-based tribal income across India. In Meghalaya, the initiative has grown from 39 VDVKs in Phase I to 130 centres, with 75 cooperatives active in the Garo Hills alone.
MBMA officials said that similar workshops will continue across other districts to strengthen local capacity and raise awareness on MFP value chains.
With over 8,200 local products already identified, the state is pushing ahead to scale up the Van Dhan ecosystem through innovation, sustainability and deep respect for tribal heritage.
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