Odisha Govt Announces Rs 59.78 Cr Bonus For Kendu Leaf Pluckers

Bhubaneswar: Here is some good news for kendu leaf pluckers and workers of Odisha.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced bonus and other assistance worth Rs 92.37 crore for kendu leaf pluckers and employees of Kendu Leaf Development Board.

At a meeting of Kendu Leaf Development Board chaired by the Chief Minister through video conference here, Rs 59.78 crore bonus was announced.

The Board sanctioned Rs 92.37 crore towards bonus and other assistance for pluckers, binding workers and temporary employees and infrastructure development.

The ex gratia for workers associated with kendu leaf plucking was also hiked from Rs 1 lakh each to Rs 2 lakh in case of death or complete disability.

During the pandemic situation, the Kendu Leaf Development Board created more than 60 lakh work days. As many as 7,54,631 kendu leaf pluckers, 18,223 binding workers and 16,533 temporary employees were benefitted, sources said.

A total of Rs 250 crore was transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries under the DBT scheme in the 2020 crop season.

Among others, Ministers Bikram Keshari Arukha and Prafulla Kumar Mallick, Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and senior officials of the Forest and Environment Department were present.