The SC and ST Development Department has proposed to set up exclusive outlets at select places of the city to market forest and other pro ducts for the benefit of the tribals.
The outlets will focus on minor forest produce (MFP) and surplus agriculture produce (SAP). All the products will be first processed and sold under the brand name ‘Adisha’. The department has asked Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to identify land to set up the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Limited (TDCCOL) outlets. BMC is nodal agency for executing the proposal.
“The purpose of establishing these outlets is to act as an intermediary between tribal population and the market where their products can be promoted. These outlets will act like OMFED booths, where Government will procure the products from tribals, sell them and give them the profit from the sale,” said BMC Commissioner Sanjib Mishra.
The problem with the tribal products is that they get exposure only when there is an exhibition. Consumers fail to get those products after the exhibition. Once TDCCOL outlets are opened, the products can be marketed throughout the year providing income to the tribals.
BMC has identified 600 sq ft land at Bhoi Nagar and Gadakan. Final approval for possession of land will be given by General Administration (GA) Department. The SC and ST Development Department has asked for additional land at other locations.
Mishra said most requests are for prime locations in the city like Saheed Nagar and Nayapalli where footfall of customers is high. But, with hardly any land available in these places, BMC is forced to look elsewhere.
The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department has also requested BMC to identify land for setting up similar outlets to preserve the fish. “These outlets will sell local fish instead of those brought from nearby States,” said Mishra. The two departments will be given land after GA’s approval.