AP Girijan Corporation bags five national awards

Vijayawada: Deputy Chief Minister Pamula Pushpasreevani on Thursday informed that the AP State Girijan Cooperative Corporation bagged five national awards in the schemes like Van Dhan Yojana, providing minimum support price for small scale forest products and in the marketing of organic and natural food products.

The Deputy Chief Minister said in a statement here that the TRIFED announced these awards for the progress achieved by the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC).

She said that particularly the TRIFED has given the first rank as the best Cooperative Corporation in the country in the implementation of Van Dhan Yojana in the State and providing minimum support price to the small-scale forest products. The State has also secured first rank in supplying organic and natural food products, she said.

Pushpasrivani said that the GCC secured second rank in the country for collecting forest products worth Rs 4.5 crore by utilising the Central funds effectively. The GCC also secured the distinction of obtaining third rank at national level for collecting forest products worth Rs 9.76 crore by effectively utilising the Central and State funds.

The Deputy Chief minister complimented the staff and the officials of the corporation for working with dedication during the pandemic period.

Referring to the development of the corporation, she said that the collection of the forest and agriculture products has gone up to Rs 76.37 crore in 2020-21 as against Rs 13.18 crore in 2019-20. Likewise, the sale of GCC products has also gone up to Rs 33.07 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 24.22 crore in 2019-20.

The business turnover of the GCC has considerably appreciated in spite of the Covid situation. It urned Rs 450.68 crore in 2020-21 as against Rs 368.08 crore in 2019-20. Enough care has been taken to protect the Girijans during the pandemic while collecting forest products resulting in the increase in the productivity, she pointed out.