Centre taking steps to empower local tribal communities in the Nilgiris: Collector

Collector S.P. Amrith inaugurated tribal handicrafts mela at RCTC hall in Udhagamandalam. Union govt. taking steps to empower local tribal communities, including providing loans & helping to market minor forest produce. Mela organised with assistance of TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs. 8 committees across State to help market handcrafted products. Toda embroidered shawls, fabric & Kurumba paintings can be marketed through TRIFED.

The Nilgiris District Collector, S.P.Amrith, inaugurated the tribal handicrafts mela at the Regional Centre for Tribal Culture (RCTC) hall here on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after the inauguration, Mr. Amrith said that the Union government was undertaking various steps to empower local tribal communities in the Nilgiris. “These include providing loans for tribal beneficiaries interested in setting up businesses and helping to market minor forest produce collected by the communities,” said Mr. Amrith.

To help support handicrafts produced by the community, schemes have also been implemented to market these products, he added. The handicraft mela is being organised with the assistance of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED), of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

In a press release, the district administration said that the Nilgiris did not have a committee for tribals to market their products. However, there were eight such committees across the State, each comprising 50 to 300 members to help market products handcrafted by members of the communities. Handicrafts such as Toda embroidered shawls and fabric, as well as paintings by the Kurumba community can be marketed through TRIFED, the press release said.