The Government has announced the creation of six projects in public-private partnership mode in non-timber forest produce (NTFP), covering around 60 Naxal-affected districts in the country. The projects, to be executed within six months, will cover Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, according to a Rural Development Ministry release here on Friday. Addressing a national conference on the NTFP, Rural Development Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said the projects in lac, gum, medicinal plants, tasar, bamboo and non-edible oil seeds such as neem and mahua will maximise the returns for the tribals engaged in collecting these forest products. The Minister said the projects would be part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission. He underlined the need for involvement of panchayats in the execution of the projects. Mr Ramesh said his Ministry would also explore whether MGNREGA could be used as a convergence in the implementation of the projects.