Sambalpur: Kendu leaf, a minor forest produce known as green diamond, has proved to be leaves of bounty as it is providing livelihood to scores of people who had lost their jobs due to Covid-19 pandemic in this district, a report said.
As many as 8 lakh people who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic have been able to become selfreliant through sale of kendu leaves in this district. Cumulatively, they have been able to earn over Rs 166 crore by collecting kendu leaves.
They have been able to earn their livelihood without the state government having to spend a pie to provide them with alternative employment.
This has spread cheers among the residents as the minor forest produce has proved to be succour at the time of their distress. Reports said that Kendu leaf is non-timber forest product and provides livelihood opportunities throughout the year to forest dwellers as well as people living on the fringes of forests.
In fact, the government has framed special rules for collection of kendu leaves and providing benefits to those plucking/collecting them. It has become difficult for people to earn their livelihood after the outbreak of Covid pandemic.
Things have come to such a pass that people are facing acute financial problems due to job loss and are finding it difficult to earn two square meals a day for their family.
Realising the gravity of the problem, the government has started providing free rations to the households and spending crores in the rural job scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to provide livelihood to the people.
However, the poverty alleviation scheme is not free from controversy as large scale irregularities like people being deprived of work have been alleged in the implementation of the scheme.
In present times, the collection of the minor forest produce or the ‘green diamond’ has provided livelihood to over 8 lakh people who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Reports said that the target for kendu leaf collection in the state was 250.000 quintals and over 91 per cent of the target has been achieved so far. Bijay Mohanty, president of Odisha Kendu Leaf Workers’ Association, said kendu leaf is collected from various parts of the state but the minor forest produce collected from Western Odisha is of better quality.
The target is to collect 250.000 quintals of kendu leaves every year but last year the target was not fulfilled due to erratic climatic conditions and Covid-related lockdowns and shutdowns. The pluckers managed to collect the leaves worth Rs 119 crore.
However, the target has been achieved in 2020-21 fiscal and transactions of Rs 166.50 core has been recorded so far. This is Rs 47. 50 crore in excess compared to the total transactions made last year.
The increase in kendu leaf business has directly benefited over 8 lakh pluckers in the state. The pluckers engage themselves in kendu leaf collection from April 20 till May end. They work for three to four hours every day and earn around Rs 3,000-4,000 per month.
They will also receive 50 per cent bonus in the coming days. The money they have earned from kendu leaf collection has come as succour for their family during this pandemic for which the government does not have to spend a pie.
Moreover, over 20,000 skilled labourers and 18,000 kendu leaf binders will be able to get work in coming days as kendu leaf collection and binding goes on till October.
However, he lamented the imposition of 28 per cent GST on kendu leaves and 28 per cent GST on bidi (locally made cigars) is adversely affecting the bidi business as well as the workers in the state.
PNN
