NEW DELHI: The Kerala government will implement its Honey Mission initiative in Sugandhagiri village in Wayanad district in the first phase, Agriculture Minister T Siddique announced on Friday, accepting a proposal made by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her visit to the tribal settlement.The Wayanad MP had suggested extending the state government’s initiative to Sugandhagiri to create livelihood opportunities for members of tribal communities. Siddique, who was present during the interaction, accepted the proposal and assured that the programme would be introduced in the village. Residents welcomed the announcement with applause.The Honey Mission is a state government initiative aimed at generating employment in tribal areas by providing training in honey collection and processing, besides facilitating market access for locally produced honey.During her visit, Priyanka also interacted with residents and heard their concerns over land rights, delays in development projects and infrastructure requirements.The residents demanded land titles for those who already possessed documents establishing their rights over the land. They also sought measures to prevent delays in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Forest Department for development projects.
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Another demand was to utilise land earmarked for public purposes but lying unused for new development initiatives.Priyanka arrived at Sugandhagiri Government Lower Primary School on Friday morning, where local women welcomed her with traditional tribal dances.Wayanad District Panchayat president Chandrika Krishnan, District Collector V Chelsasini, Pozhuthana panchayat president Nasser Kathiri, vice-president Sudha Anil, District Congress Committee president T J Isaac and other local leaders were present during the visit.