Chhattisgarh government today announced to give bonus of Rs 270 crore to 'tendu' leaves collectors in the state.
Over 13 lakh tendu leaves collectors will be benefittedwith bonus after Diwali, Chief Minister Raman Singh said today during 'BonusTihar(festival)'programme in Jagdalpur town of Bastar district.
The announcement comes at a time whenthe ruling BJP has been distributingbonusof Rs 2,100 crore to farmers for paddy procurement done in the previous Kharif season.
Today as a part of bonus distribution programme, chief minister Singh transferred Rs 90.78 crore to accounts of about 64,319 farmers in Jagdalpur (Bastar) and Bhanupratapur (District-Kanker).
The state government will initiate the process to distribute bonus to tendu leaves collectors after disbursing bonus to farmers, the CM said.
There are over 13 lakh forest dwellers who are the members of the 901 Primary Forest Produce Co-Operative Societies in the state.
They pluck and collect tendu leaves to augment their incomes in summers, he said.
The state government has taken number of steps for the welfare of tendu leaves collectors including increasing their wages from Rs 300 per standard sack to Rs 1,800 per standard sack, he added.
Ahead of the next year assembly election in the state, Raman Singh government recently announceda bonus to farmers for the last season as well this season paddy procurement.
As per the CM's announcementthe bonus to the tune of Rs 2,100 crore for paddy procurement in the last years season (2016-17) will be disbursed ahead of Diwali this year which will benefit over 13 lakh farmers.
A bonus for the procurement to be done in this season (2017-18) will be given next year during Vikas Yatra.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)