BHUBANESWAR: The State unit of BJP has strongly opposed the decision of the kendu leaf wing of the Forest and Environment department to disengage around 2,000 seasonal workers.
Dubbing the decision as most unfortunate, senior BJP leader and former MLA Pradip Purohit said these hapless people are denied employment at a time when the entire working class of the country is passing though a difficult time due to lockdown.
Purohit said the Divisional Forest Officers of major kendu leaf producing districts have disengaged these workers who have been working in different ‘phadis’ (kendu leaf collection centres) for more than 30 years. These casual workers got employment about four months from February - when bush cutting took place - till the sale of leaves in May.
Purohit said the decision was taken when the Prime Minister has requested all the employers not to stop payment or dismiss any employee during or after the lockdown period.
Alleging that the wage paid to the kendu leaf pluckers is too small, the BJP leader said the Re 1 per kerry (20 processed leaves bundle) and Rs 2 (40 phal leaves) is much below the minimum wage announced by the Government.
The kendu leaf pluckers under the banner of Odisha Kendupatra Karmachari Sangh organised a road blockade at Sambalpur and other centres of the State in March to protest the State Government’s decision to abolish 24 range offices, over 50 kendu leaf sections and around 500 ‘phadis’ that rendered 2000 people mostly tribals jobless.