India, Aug. 5 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Sl. No.
District
Tribe
No. of VDVKs Sanctioned
No. of Beneficiaries
Sanctioned Fund (Rs. in Lakh)
Released Fund (Rs. in Lakh)
Product chosen for Value Addition
Sales (Rs. in Lakh)
1
Tirupathur
Irula
2
134
6.70
3.35
Honey & Tamarind
0.29
2
Chengalpattu
Irula
2
107
5.35
2.67
Herbs
1.46
3
The Nilgiris
Irula
3
360
18.00
9.00
Honey & Spices
61.79
4
Namakkal
Irula
4
240
12.00
6.00
Palm leaves
0.36
5
Ariyalur
Irula
5
261
13.05
6.53
Raw Cashew
11.31
6
Tiruvannamalai
Irula
8
449
22.45
11.22
Honey, Forest Yam & Tamarind
0.21
7
Coimbatore
Irula
10
584
29.20
14.60
Broom Stick, Honey, Soap Nut & Tamarind
0.47
Total
34
2,135
106.75
53.375
75.89
The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed the Rajya Sabha today that the Government promotes sustainable livelihood opportunities for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), including the Irula tribal community in Tamil Nadu, through the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). Under the scheme, TRIFED has sanctioned 37 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in 7 districts of Tamil Nadu - Tirupathur, Chengalpattu, Namakkal, Ariyalur, The Nilgiris, Tiruvannamalai and Coimbatore - with a total sanctioned amount of Rs. 120.15 lakh, of which Rs. 60.08 lakh has been released, associating 2,403 beneficiaries. Of these, 34 VDVKs cover 2,135 beneficiaries belonging to the Irula tribal community (district-wise details at Annexure-I). These VDVKs support value addition and marketing of locally available Minor Forest Produce (MFP) - including wild honey, spices, cashew, broom sticks, herbs, tamarind and soap nut - collected by the Irula community, which is sold through local markets, fairs and exhibitions. Value-added products worth Rs. 75.89 lakh have been sold by Irula beneficiaries.
Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) of RSUQ No. 2058 for answer on 05.08.2026 regarding Livelihood opportunities for Irula tribal community
Tamil Nadu District-wise Details of Irula Tribal Community under PM-JANMAN
RN
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
