The much awaited deregulation of Kendu leaf, which was earlier a nationalised product controlled and regulated by the Government, has ended up as a fiasco.
For the last few years, the Government confronted a high public and legal pressure to hand over the rights of Kendu leaf to the Gram Sabha to collect, transport, store and dispose the same as it is the owner of the minor forest products (MFPs). Since there exists the State’s monopoly over Kendu leaf trade and it is a lucrative business of more than Rs 200 crore per year, the Government is not in a mood to hand over it to the public domain.
The State Government has its own structural arrangements, personnel and systems in place to deal with Kendu leaf trade and management. So, for a long period, it was a debate that a gram panchayat has neither ability nor the human resources to take over Kendu leaf trade in case it is handed over to them.
On April 10 last, the Forest and Environment Department deregulated Kendu leaf operation in Nabarangapur Kendu leaf Division for 2013 Kendu leaf crop year. It occurred all on a sudden when the Kendu leaf season was going on. On April 11, Director (ST) cum Additional Secretary, SC & ST Development Department issued a letter to the District Collector Nabarangpur regarding the matter and to intimate the gram panchayats to collect and sale their Kendu leaf to anybody of their choice.
The Gram Sabha can issue transit permit for the trader. However, the things do not move due to several reasons. This is primarily because the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) limited did not cancel the advance sale of Kendu leaf. No letter has been issued to the gram panchayats regarding Kendu leaf operation in their limits.
As many as 20 gram panchayats of Koraput district are coming under Nabarangapur Kenduleaf Division and for them there were no communications from the State as well as from the district. Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) has conducted a study in Jabaguda ,Junapani, Badigaon and Gadakhunta gram panchayats of Dabugaon block after the deregulation notification. The implementation and implications of deregulation has hardly impacted positively on the socio-economic life of the people.