State announces 1000 each for 8L kendu leaf pluckers

Bhubaneswar: After Rs 200 crore input subsidy package for farmers, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced a financial package for the kendu leaf pluckers and associated staff while demanding complete GST waiver on kendu leaf ahead of the December 5 Padampur bypoll. The BJP termed it a stunt keeping the bypoll in mind.
A statement issued by the chief minister’s office said all the kendu leaf pluckers will get Rs 1,000 financial aid in the first phase while seasonal staff members and binders will get Rs 1,500 each. There are around eight lakh kendu leaf pluckers and 18,000 seasonal workers associated with kendu leaf trade. The government said all the pluckers and workers will be included in Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, the government said. While there will be a special scholarship scheme for children of kendu leaf workers, all the pluckers will get identity cards.
Stating that he had requested the Centre several times to abolish 18% GST on kendu leaf, Naveen said, “I once again request the Centre to abolish the GST keeping in mind the poor people’s interest.”
Stating that the so-called package is an attempt to mislead the kendu leaf workers ahead of the Padampur bypoll, leader of opposition Jayanarayan Mishra said it is a sequel to the state government’s blunders on crop insurance, input subsidy and the lies spread by it on the proposed rail line through Padampur.
“The state government should clarify whether the pluckers were not covered under BSKY. If the state is opposed to GST on kendu leaf, it should raise the issue in GST council meeting and also waive off its own share of 9%,” Jayanarayan said.
A large section of pluckers are women and tribals. Odisha is the third largest producer of kendu leaf, which is used in wrapping “bidi”, a popular smoke, after Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.