Telangana govt plans to procure over 3 lakh bags of Tendu leaves

Kothagudem: The State government has made arrangements to procure 3,32,200 standard bags of tendu leaves in all the 11 forest circles in the current year. Tenders have been called for the same.

The Forest department officials are contemplating on how to pay bonus to those who procured the leaves, which are used for rolling beedis. The bonus was due to the tribals with effect from 2012. To distribute the bonus, hundreds of crores was needed with Bhadrachalam circle alone Rs 5 crore.

Hundreds of crores were needed to disburse bonus to all. Tribal associations are breathing fire on the style of functioning of the state government. Meanwhile, the Forest department officials are learnt to have come across some technical problems while calculating the bonus to be paid to workers plucking the leaves.

Meanwhile, contractors who successfully bid to procure the tender leaves are entering into agreements with government to pick tendu leaves in all forest divisions in various districts.

The contractors are competing with each other to pluck the leaves in Bhadrachalam circle. Because of the competition, one standard bag of tender leaves fetches Rs 13,502.

In Bhadrachalam area, tribals take part actively in plucking as it is very remunerative for them because contractors vie with each other in securing the contract. During family, each family earns anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000. Since pruning works are underway, officials have made arrangements to procure tendu leaves in the first week of April.

Talking to The Hans India, Chief conservator of forests PV Raja Rao said that it was targeted to procure 94,450 standard bags of tendu leaves from eight divisions of the forest circle here.

The leaves will be procured from Bhadrachalam, Manuguru, Palvoncha, Bhadrachalam, Illandu, Mahbubnagar and Guduru divisions of the Forest department.

The procurement will take place in 61 units of this division. Rs 2 crore has been released for payment of bonus for the 2012-13 season. Payments would be made shortly, he announced.

The target to procure tendu leaves in five units of Bhadrachalam north division is put at 14,850 standard bags. The target for all the six divisions in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district is 65,550 standard bags.

Bhadrachalam legislator Sunnam Rajaiah told The Hans India that the state government was not bothered to pay bonus to the workers. He said he had written to the state government many times on the issue and also raised it on the floor of the Assembly.

He demanded the State government to immediately pay bonus with effective from 2013. CPM leader and Adivasi Sangham Association vice-president Bandaru Ravi Kumar told The Hans India that it was because of the CPM the bonus was paid.

In the new state of Telangana, upto two seasons the bonus was paid. Currently, the fourth season was under way. He urged the State government to take a cue from Chhattisgarh and pay the bonus regularly.