Bhubaneswar: Residents of six villages predominantly inhabited by scheduled tribes in Kalahandi district have reasons to celebrate as the state government has handed them over the right to trade in kendu leaf, a lucrative forest produce.
Villages that will be benefited by the conferment of trade rights are Khainsuguda, Jamguda Bahal, Jamjharan, Kasturpadar, Kanakpur and Kalipur.
According to a notification of the forest and environment department, residents of the six villages in the Kegaon range in Bhawanipatna Kendu Leaf division are free to sell the leaf to anybody of their choice, including the Kendu Leaf Organisation in accordance to the rights conferred under Section 3(i) (c) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act 2006.
To prevent exploitation of the kendu leaf pluckers and ensure that they get remunerative price of the leaf, the government-controlled organisation will buy the leaf from the pluckers, who are willing to sell it at the procurement price.The kendu leaf is considered as a key forest produce that meets the financial needs of the tribal people. At present, the forest and environment department controls the trade, and the annual turnover is estimated at Rs 400 crore.
Tendu or kendu leaf, used for rolling bidis, forms the sizeable part of the forest department's revenue in the state. The department's kendu leaf division procures the leaves from the forest dwellers in exchange of wages and the Odisha Forest Development Corporation sells them to the contractors through tenders.
The wages earned by the forest dwellers under this system are, at times, less than the government-fixed rate of daily wages. The forest department earns large profits from the trade.
The transit permit books are being provided to the gram sabha of the six villages according to their requirement. The authorised representatives of the gram sabha will issue the transit permit, which will be valid for all purposes of transportation of the leaf, said a forest official of Bhawanipatna forest division.
