Balrampur: In a major step towards aiding the economy of tribal and rural people, thousands of families living in the forest areas of the district of Balrampur in Chhattisgarh are earning their main source of income through the scheme to collect tendu leaves by the state government. This sensitive and highly prioritized process remains crucial for the benefit of many marginalized sections of society during the peak harvesting period.
Talking about the implementation of this scheme in Balrampur district, Balrampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Alok Bajpai revealed to ANI that nearly one lakh tendu leaf collectors of the district are reaping the benefits of this scheme. “Tendu leaves are a very important means of livelihood for our tribal brothers and sisters in the forest areas,” DFO Bajpai said.
Giving further details on how this scheme is helping the community, he informed that the district administration has set up a strong system for collecting the leaves, having four-four committees looking after 64 lots in Balrampur. To help the forest communities earn better and higher, the administration has set a fixed rate of ₹5,500 for each standard sack. “Collection is taking place enthusiastically in every corner,” Bajpai concluded.
The financial stability offered by the scheme has been received very positively by the locals. The collectors collect the leaves, tie them up in bunches of fifty, and sell them at the specified collection centers which then conduct quality tests on them. The payment process is completely transparent as the payments are made directly into the beneficiary’s account.
Discussing its implications, one of the local collectors said, “The money we earn from selling tendu leaves is deposited in our accounts immediately. This money is quite beneficial to us since we can use it to cover our farming costs soon.” Through this scheme, the state government of Chhattisgarh is ensuring that self-sustainability is promoted in the forests of Chhattisgarh.
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