Andhra Pradesh Gets 488 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras to Boost Tribal Livelihoods

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned a total of 488 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in Andhra Pradesh , according to Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey in a Lok Sabha reply today. Of these, 415 VDVKs are under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) , while 73 fall under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya MahaAbhiyaN (PM-JANMAN) .

Currently, 412 VDVKs are operational , including 368 under PMJVM and 44 under PM-JANMAN . The total funds sanctioned for these centres amount to ₹6,470.40 lakh , with ₹6,162.90 lakh under PMJVM and ₹307.50 lakh under PM-JANMAN. So far, ₹3,757.80 lakh has been released to the operational VDVKs.

VDVKs function as tribal livelihood hubs , aggregating, processing, and marketing Minor Forest Produce (MFP) such as honey, tamarind, bamboo, and medicinal plants. Each centre typically involves 300 tribal members across 15 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) , with a focus on skill training, value addition, and market linkages .

Under PMJVM, there is a provision to form Van Dhan Producer Enterprises (VDPEs) , clusters of multiple VDVKs to boost tribal incomes further. However, no complete proposals for VDPEs have been received from any State, including Andhra Pradesh , highlighting an area for potential growth in tribal entrepreneurship.

The Central government funds for VDVKs are routed through TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd.) . State governments and implementing agencies propose VDVKs, which are sanctioned subject to guidelines, eligibility, and fund availability .