Now tendu leaf pluckers to get Rs 1100 per standard sack

House passes Rs 671.99 crore-budgetary demands for Forest department through voice vote

Raipur, March 26, 2012

The state government has increased the collection rate for tendu leaf pluckers by Rs 300 and now they will receive Rs 1100 per standard sack from this fiscal onwards. The announcement was done by Forest Minister Vikram Usendi while he was speaking during the debate over demand for budgetary grants for his department at Vidhan Sabha on Monday. The House passed the budgetary demands of Rs 671.99 crore for Forest department through voice vote.

Usendi informed the House that over 13.50 lakh families dwelling in the forests would get benefited by the hiked collection rate for tendu leaves.

Besides, the children of tendu leaf pluckers would get Rs 12000 scholarship to pursue their three-year graduation programme after passing class 12^th. Earlier, the scholarships were given only to the children pursuing professional courses at graduation and higher levels.

Usendi also announced that his department would recruit over 1000 forest guards in next four months. “Security of jungles and development of forest-dwellers is our prim objective,” he said.

“Every year, the forest-dwellers get about Rs 2000 crore through tendu leaf plucking and by doing other forest-related works,” he informed.

He further informed the House that under afforestation programme, his department had set a target of doing plantation in about 23000 hectare land and maintenance works in 1.60 lakh hectare forest lands. The department will also plant bamboos in 55000 hectare land.

Similarly, the government has made provision of Rs 6.20 crore in the budget for plantation at national highways and other roads under its Path Vriksharopan Yojna.

The minister announced to open three training centres under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to impart training to the Forest employees. The training centres will be opened in Sarguja, Durg and Kanker forest circles.

The government has further made provision of Rs 95.50 crore in the budget for conservation and expansion state’s bio-diversity.

To check tuskers’ menace, Usendi informed that solar-powered fencing had been done on 200 kilometres of forest lands. For elephant reserve in Sarguja district, Rs 2.50 crore would be spent in 2012-13. He informed the House that the Centre had included Chhattisgarh in its Project Elephant scheme.