Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): This year, 110 per cent more tendu leaves were collected against the given target in the state. The target was 16.29 lakh standard bags, against which 18.02 lakh standard bags of tendu leaves were collected. In 2021, 16.60 lakh standard bags of tendu leaves were collected, according to state government officials.
For this achievement, forest minister Dr Kunwar Vijay Shah has congratulated the gatherers, members of primary forest produce cooperative societies and staff involved in tendu leaf collection and management. It is noteworthy that collection of tendu leaves is a major source of livelihood in tribal dominated areas in the state.
State Minor Forest Produce Federation, 80 district unions and 1071 primary forest produce cooperative societies are doing the work of collection of tendu leaves.
As many as 35 lakh gatherers are associated with them. Of them, 50 per cent of the gatherers are from ST families and 40 per cent of the gatherers are women.
The Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh State Minor Forest Produce Federation Pushkar Singh informed that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a hike of Rs.500 in the collection rate of tendu patta in the conference of Forest Committees and tendu patta collectors held on April 22, as a result of which the rate of Rs 3,000 per standard bag has been fixed.
This hike has also led to an increase in the remuneration of the gatherers. This year, the work of transferring an amount of about Rs 540 crores as remuneration directly into the accounts of the tendu patta collectors has begun, which is Rs 100 crores more as compared to last year.
A sale price of Rs. 600 crore was received in the year 2020 and Rs. 843 crore in the year 2021 through the collection of tendu leaves.
