Chhattisgarh prohibits illegal collection of tendu leaves

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has prohibited illegal collection and transportation of tendu leaves in the state, instructing officials to constantly monitor the process.

"Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand has instructed control of illegal collection, transportation and storage of the leaves because it not only causes a loss of tax to the state but also deprives labourers the bonus they are entitled to," a senior official said here today.

Instructions have been issued to all divisional commissioners, district collectors and forest officials, he said.

The chief secretary insisted on the need to constantly monitor the tendu leaves collection process at all levels, especially in areas like Sukma, Bijapur, Mahasamund and other areas under District Forest Produce Associations, the official said.

The directives say that officials of various departments must inspect storage centres at remote areas and ensure timely delivery of quality stock.

To avoid loss caused due to delay in transportating collected tendu leaves stock, it has been directed to use government-owned trucks for timely transportation, he said.

Besides, to stop illegal collection, it has been directed that bags in each warehouse should be checked by a team of officials, particularly in big centres like Rajnandgaon, Bagbahara, Kharsiya and Bilaspur, he said.

The Chief Secretary has also asked the Director General of Police to take precautionary measures in sensitive areas to ensure uninterrupted and systematic collection of tendu leaves, he said.

About 3.55 lakh bags of tendu leaves were collected during the past month in Chhattisgarh, whose government pays wages at the rate of Rs 1,200 per standard bag to labourers for its collection.