Chhattisgarh hikes tendupatta collection rate

Chhattisgarh government had hiked the tendupatta collection rate from Rs 1200 to Rs 1500 per standard bag.

The decision would help over 1.3 million families engaged in the collection of Tendu Patta (Tendu leaf) — popularly termed as the ‘green gold’. The collection of tendupatta provides seasonal employment the families registered with over 900 primary forest produce cooperative societies that had been executing the process.

“Tendupatta had been an important part of life for the tribals, providing employment to them,” Chief Minister Raman Singh said. Hence, the state government had decided to increase the collection rate from Rs 1200 to Rs 1500 per standard bag. One standard bag of Tendu leaves comprises of 1000 bundles of 50 leaves each.

Chhattisgarh produces the best quality of Tendu Patta used as Beedi (cheap cigarette) wrappers and tobacco. The production of Tendu leaves in Chhattisgarh is approximately 1.64 million standard bags annually that contribute nearly 20 per cent of the total Tendu leaves production of the country.

The collection season is from third week of April to last week of May and starts earlier in the Southern part comprising Naxal-infested Bastar region.

The state government is also providing Charanpaduka (Shoes/Chappal) to one in each family of Tendupatta collectors. The families are eligible who pluck minimum 500 bundles in at least one year in preceding two years. In the financial year 2015-16, the state government had distributed over 1.23 million pair of shoes/chappals to the tendupatta collectors even as the distribution was still in progress.