Chief secretary Sunil Kumar here on Saturday, through video conferencing, gathered information from the district collectors and divisional forest officers about the preparations for the collection of tendu patta and issued necessary instructions also to the officers, informed here in an official statement.
The Chief Secretary instructed all the district collectors to ensure timely payment of wages related to tendu patta collection. He said that the tendu patta policy of the State Government has been intended to make the lakhs of tendu patta collectors of the State ‘from labourers to owners’ and added that the officers should work while keeping this intention of the administration in their mind.
He said that it is necessary to collect good quality tendupatta and to distribute bonus timely.
Principal Secretary Forest, Sunil Kujur, secretary food and civil supplies Vikas Sheel, principal chief conservator of forest Dheerendra Sharma, managing director of Chhattisgarh State laghu Vanopaj Sahkari Sangh AK Singh and other officers were present at the video conferencing.
While reviewing the district-wise tendu patta collection preparations, the Chief Secretary instructed the district collectors to monitor the tendu patta collection process continuously. He also instructed the principal chief conservator of forest and conservators of forest to inspect the field. He told them to ensure proper arrangement for the inspection of stock, collection of gunny bags etc.
He said that the districts where banking facilities are scanty, timely payment of the tendupatta collectors through banking correspondent, mobile banking etc. Prior preparations should be made to make cash payment to the beneficiaries in the areas where payment could not be possible through banks.
Sunil Kumar told the officers to make random inspection of tendu patta bags and to ensure the participation of communities in all the tendu patta collector process. He also directed them to make wide publicity about the quality of tendupatta through primary forest cooperative committees.
The district collectors informed the chief secretary that they have made all the necessary arrangements for the collection of tendu patta in the districts.