Port Blair, Mar 22: UNNATI working in the field of Self-employment and conducting training programmes for capacity building in various job oriented fields organized food processing training programme on coconut and fish based products at Car Nicobar in association with NABARD, Line Departments, Local Administration and Tribal Council on 21-3-12 in which 40 member’s of tribal Self Help Groups promoted by UNNATI and DRDA participated. Mr. S.Athirstavel, General Manager, NABARD,presided over the function Mr. Aberdeen Blair, Chief Captain, who was to inaugurate the training programme but due to his ill health could not present and in hisplace Mr. Martin Luther Secretary tribal council represented. Mr. Niraj Sharma, Food Technologist of UNNATI welcomed the participants and narrated about UNNATI’s food processing project on Coconut and Marine based products and also mentioned about the tremendous potential of Coconut and Fish based products which are abundantly available locally to take up Coconut And Fish products related Industries.
He said UNNATI first time introduced coconut based products like Coconut Jam and Sweets in 2006-07 with the support of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi and it became popular and the trainees trained by UNNATI on value added Coconut products are not only preparing Coconut based products but also demonstrating to other interested women and their services are also being utilized by different agencies / department. He said Administration also took various decisions recently on the request of UNNATI to popularize food processing in A&N Islands. He said UNNATI already trained more than 200 candidates from different villages of North and Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Little Andaman and Havelock and the response of training was very encouraging.
Mr. Josaph BDO Car Nicobar also emphasized participate to take interest to learn things for improving their economic condition from the food technologist of UNNATI to start value added coconut products. Mr. Martin Luther also thanked UNNATI for organizing such need based and useful training for tribals. He said first time such training programme was organized and tribal women are very happy in undergoing such training programme. He also said to arrange such training in all tribal village. He advised participants to take full advantage of the training.
Mr. S.Athirstavel, General Manager, NABARD explained various NABARD schemes and assured his full support. He said the NABARD is supporting UNNATI for implementation of Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups and training programme in Nicobar. The trainees can avail financial assistance to start production after completion of the training under Self Help Groups and Joint Liability group’s schemes. He said that he can support for organizing any type of training in which tribals are interested.
