Rs1.68cr tendu royalty cut mulled for 2 firms

Nagpur: The forest department is considering compensating royalty worth Rs 1.68 crore on the collection of tendu leaves by two firms from Gondia, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer as well as loss of bonus to tendu collectors.
In 2017, the two firms — Jamnadas Morarji & Morarji Tribhuvandas, Gondia, were part of the tendu collection in 11 units under the Gondia division. After the collection season, these firms filed six appeals for reduction of notified yield in 6 units on the ground that they could not collect produce to the extent of sanctioned notified yield due to adjoining units under community forest rights (CFR).
The six units were under the jurisdiction of Saundad, Kohmara, Dongargaon, Shenda, Jamdi, Rengepar, Kanhalgaon, Parsodi, Chichgad, Piparkhadi and Kadikasa villages in Gondia district.
The CCF, Nagpur, rejected all appeal cases in April 2018 as terms and conditions of the tender notice were violated. The firms further appealed to the APCCF (NTFP) in July 2018, which was also rejected on the ground that these firms bought CFR units adjoining to department units and collected more than double the notified yield by diverting tendu collection from department units.
After the collection season of 2017, the firms claimed a reduction of notified yield by 1,843 standard bags and hence, demanded royalty of Rs 1.68 crore from the department. Whereas, these firms made an unauthorized agreement with CFR villages and paid more collection charges than the government-approved rates. Hence, all their appeals were rejected.
As per the terms and conditions of the tender notice, before submitting the offer, the parties are advised to inspect the units for which offers are submitted. After submission of the offers, no complaint of whatsoever nature is entertained by the government.
“The parties are also not entitled to claim any compensation whatsoever for any loss or damage that may be sustained by him on account of fire, rains, tempest, disease, pest, flood, drought or any other natural calamities or by reasons of any wrongful acts committed by any third party or for any other reason whatsoever,” said forest officials.
However, after rejection of all the appeals, the firms appealed before the then forest minister Sanjay Rathod, who, after hearing the appeal in March 2020, passed an order after nine months in favour of these firms in December 2020. In January 2021, APCCF (NTFP) appealed to the minister to reconsider the order on the basis of actual facts as the order of the forest minister was based on old facts.
However, a further decision in this regard is awaited from the state government. “If the government accepts the request of these firms to reduce royalty, there will be a huge loss resulting in depriving local villagers of their right to bonus, which runs into crores every year. This will defeat also the state policy for socio-economic development of poor tribals and set the wrong precedence,” said senior forest officials.