Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday reiterated the demand for withdrawal of 18% GST on Kendu leaves in the interest of livelihoods of about eight lakh poor people of Odisha.
“Imposition of GST (18%) on Kendu leaves is adversely affecting the Kendu leaves trade. This in turn affects the livelihoods of Kendu leavers pluckers, binders and seasonal workers and implementation of social security and welfare schemes for them,” Naveen wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is also the Chairperson of GST Council.
The CM further said that the minor forest produce is the financial backbone of eight lakh Kendu leaf pluckers, binders and seasonal workers of Odisha. “The Kendu leaf pluckers and workers are mostly tribal and women belonging to the poorest of the poor of the society. The tribal people collect the leaves as part of their rights defined under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. They have the right to procure and sell these products.”
In the interest of a large section of people dependent upon Kendu leaves for their livelihood, Naveen requested Sitharaman once again to withdraw the GST being imposed on Kendu.
On November 25 last year, the CM had dashed a similar letter to the Union Finance Minister, barely three days after announcing a Rs 111-crore special package for the welfare of kendu leaf pluckers. The Opposition BJP had then termed the move as politically motivated and aimed at wooing the tribals of Padampur assembly constituency where by-election will be held on December 5, 2022.
