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Bhubaneswar: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram today urged Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to return the unutilised funds provided to the State under central scheme ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Development of Value Chain of MFP’ to undertake procurement operations.
"In case the State decides to follow alternate methods to benefit tribals in this sector, I suggest that the unutilised funds may please be refunded with accrued interest along with an audit report so that the same can be optimally utilised for those States which are implementing the scheme," Oram stated through a letter.
The State government was provided Rs 49.41 crore under the scheme as 'Revolving fund' in 2014 to undertake procurement towards implementation of the scheme. But, in the last four years the procurement has been conducted to the tune of Rs 3.80 crore only, he stated.
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Managing Director of TRIFED and a team of officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had a meeting with Odisha Chief Secretary on September 15 to discuss about the scheme and its implementation.
