Bolangir: Kendu leaf pluckers in Bolangir district have alleged disparity in payment of bonus, a report said. They are also allegedly not provided with umbrellas to protect themselves from sun and rain, as well as slippers for protection against injuries and infections. People in several villages of Bolangir district earn their livelihood by plucking kendu leaves from forests in the vicinity of their villages. After plucking the leaves, they tie them up in bundles and submit those at depots. However, this year they are faced with the twin problems of bush cutting (pruning of the kendu tree) and leaf plucking. It is feared that income from kendu leaf might drop this year since the bushes have not been pruned properly.
Meanwhile, kendu leaf pluckers have expressed their resentment over various other problems plaguing them. Earlier, personnel from the Kendu Leaf Division used to distribute umbrellas and slippers to the pluckers. However, the government agency has now allegedly stopped distributing the essentials. Similarly, a section of the kendu leaf pluckers have expressed their dissatisfaction over the distribution of bonus by the state government. They alleged that they are not being given additional bonuses for plucking extra leaves, but rather paid on par with those plucking lesser quantity of leaves.
Same is the case with kendu leaf checkers and Munshis who too have aired their resentment over lack of any special assistance from the state government. Officials informed that at present, kendu leaf pluckers are paid Rs 1.60 per bundle, with each containing 20 to 22 leaves. These bundles are then tied into larger bundles of 100. After receiving the bundles, the officials keep a record of the number of kendu leaves collected by each of the pluckers by making entry into their collection cards. The quantity mentioned in the card helps them in receiving the correct payment. The state government is now paying the wages of the pluckers through their respective bank accounts.
Though the leaf pluckers have welcomed the direct credit of wages to their bank accounts, they have expressed their disappointments over disparity in payment of bonus and supply of assistance like umbrellas and slippers. They alleged that they collect the leaves by risking their lives under scorching sun and blistering heatwaves. They said they leave home at daybreak to pluck kendu leaves and return in the evening. Currently, Bolangir district is reeling under intense heat waves, and it has become impossible to step out of home after 9 am. Given the situation, the leaf pluckers have demanded immediate provision of umbrellas and slippers. They have also sought the intervention of the state government and concerned authorities at the earliest to fulfill their demands.
