NABARANGPUR KENDU LEAF DEREGULATION A CONSPIRACY’ Thursday, 25 April 2013

NABARANGPUR KENDU LEAF DEREGULATION A CONSPIRACY’

Thursday, 25 April 2013 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

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Challenging the recent decision of State Government towards deregulating Kendu leaf (KL) business in Nabarangpur KL Division only for 2013 session and its claim to be the first State in the country recognizing ownership rights of the pluckers over KL, Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), NGO that fought for individual and community rights over forest produce under the ambit of the Forest Rights Act, vehemently criticized the move here.

At a Press meet, the outfit charged that the Government was playing with the fate of around 8 lakh families engaged in KL business and strongly criticized the Government for sudden deregulating KL collection and sale in Nabarangpur in the mid of KL season. It said simply asking the Gram Sabhas to take over the KL trade without making the pluckers aware on their rights and responsibility and organizing them properly may prove hazardous for KL pluckers since they need time to organize the phadi and set up the tendering etc.

The outfit also questioned as to why the Government has not deregulated KL in Balangir and Patnagarh region, where best quality and processed KL are produced compared to Nabarangpur region?

The members of the outfit alleged that deregulation in Nabarngpur district was done because the Forest Department was continuously struggling in KL business due to serious corruption within its department. In 2010-11, the Vigilance had seized around Rs 8 crore from a Ranger (KL) from the Nabaranpur KL Division, it said.

CSD convenor Gopinath Majhi alleged, “In KL business, the State Government has been exploiting the KL pluckers in the name of welfare, insurance, sleepers, umbrella etc and has paid them only 17 per cent of the final auction price of KL while the lion share of 83 per cent is illegally grabbed.”

Attending the meet, Zilla Adibasi Kalyan Sangh president Braja Kishoresingh Bhoi said, “While other major KL producing States like Chatisgarh, MP and Maharshtra have shared the maximum income (60 per cent to 80 per cent) with the pluckers abolishing State’s royalty on KL, the Odisha Government has continued to exploit its Kl pluckers by sharing only 17 per cent of the final auction price of Kl.”

The outfit called upon the State Government to implement the PESA, Act, 1996 and Forest Rights Act, 2006 in its true sprit to realize the betterment of tribals and forest dwellers, extend ownership rights over minor forest produce (MFP) including KL amongst the KL pluckers, transfer the State’s control over KL operation to pluckers, abolish illegal State’s royalty on KL, pay a standard of 80 per cent of final price to the pluckers, return back the Rs 1.40 crore of royalty illegally collected per year to the poor KL pluckers at least from last 2006 to 2012, facilitate the pluckers to organize themselves in the form of cooperatives, groups to do the KL business themselves by extending support in providing KL markets/KL contractors, Phadi centers and infrastructure, advance rolling funds to the cooperatives to make prompt payment to Kl pluckers and allow the SC/ST Department replace the Forest Department/OFSDC in the facilitation of KL operation by the Gram Sabha / KL pluckers.

In the Press meet, CSD members from Jharsuguda, Nabaranpur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Sundargarh, Koraput, etc participated.

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