THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department would start a centre at a cost of around Rs 20 lakh at Kappukad near Kottur for collecting, processing and marketing of minor forest produce, Forest Minister Binoy Viswam has said.
He was speaking at the state-level inaugural of Gajadinam (Elephant Day) - 2009 celebrations organised by the Forest Department at Kappukad in Kottur on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.
Every year, `Elephant Day’ is organised for spreading the message of elephant care among the people and role of elephants in sustaining nature and conservation of biodiversity.
``Once the centre is set up, the tribals will get the opportunity to process and sell the minor forest produces directly. This will help them earn more money,’’ Binoy Viswam said.
The Minister said that around 18 new projects including hostel at the Kappukad Elephant Rehabilitation centre, solid waste management and wooden house for visitors would be completed within December this year.
``Honey collectors of Kottur will be sent to Keystone Foundations, Ooty, so that they could gain knowledge of honey processing methods,’’ the minister said.
Earlier, Binoy Viswam officially inaugurated the `elephant day celebrations’ by feeding the elephants of the Kappukad Elephant Rehabilitation Centre.
A tusker Renji and female elephants Jayasri, Ammu and Minnu are the four elephants of the centre. The elephants were given banana, water-melon, sugarcane, cucumber, Jaggery, pine-apple and mineral mixture. Congress parliamentary party deputy leader and Aryanad MLA G Karthikeyan, MP A Sampath, Animal Welfare Board member Ramakumar, Kuttichal grama panchayat president Paruthipalli Chandran and Wildlife warden Anil Antony also attended.