BHAWANIPATNA: Transparency and ethical practices in the purchase of kendu leaf by private traders were strongly demanded at a high-level meeting that reviewed the plans for the Kalahandi region.
The meeting on Thursday was attended by elected representatives, senior officers from Forest department’s Kendu Leaf Wing (KL), district administration as well as representatives of kendu leaf pluckers’ associations.
In Kalahandi, private traders from Jharkhand and Maharastra are directly purchasing kendu leaf per the Forest Rights Act after securing permission from gram sabhas in 19 villages of nine GPs of the district.
It was alleged in the meeting that though traders make the purchases on the basis of gram sabha permission, they do not have transit permits issued by the divisional forest officer (DFO). Also, there is no clarity in the gram sabha permission on the exact size and location of deregulated areas where kendu leaf is growing and quantities produced, the meeting was told.
In many cases, kendu leaf is being plucked from outside the community forest right (CFR) areas and sold to private traders, the meeting was apprised. Some traders do not adhere to GST norms. In the absence of proper demarcation of area and quantification of production, transparency in the trade is a casualty, the meeting was informed.
Kalahandi MP Malavika Devi and MLA Sudhir Ranjan Pattjoshi called for transparency in the entire process and demanded that private traders must operate in deregulated areas only. There is a need for proper demarcation of kendu leaf producing CFR areas and quantification of production should be maintained. Obtaining transit permit from DFO should be strictly followed, they said.
State secretary of Kendu Leaf Karmachari Sangha Jadumani Panigrahi opined that like the practice of KL wing, private traders operating in deregulated areas should also issue pass books and transfer payment to bank accounts to ensure protection of the pluckers in deregulated areas. All benefits given by KL division to pluckers should also be followed by the private traders. Panigrahi requested district administration to monitor the activities of private traders and gram sabhas and also demarcate the exact area where kendu leaf is grown in deregulated areas besides quantification of production.
DFO (KL) Gadadhar Patra said that since there is no demarcation of kendu leaf production areas in CFR titles and no quantification of production, trespassing to adjacent regulated areas is strong possibility. Similarly, gram sabhas are simply issuing permission letters to traders to transport kendu leaf outside the state without obtaining TT permit from the DFO, he added.
The meeting was chaired by Kalahandi collector Sachin Prakash while regional chief conservator of forests (KL) Balangir circle Ranjit Malik was present.