The tendu leaves plucking has begun in a shadow of Naxal terror in the interior areas of the district, local officials informed.
Naxals have recently convened meetings in bordering areas of the district and even began to terrorise contractors involved in tendu leaves collection from the district.
Naxals have threatened those plucking tendu leaves from localities such as Gathapar, Chadkdhan, Mahala - Manpur and Abhagarh.
The rebels have reportedly sought a huge sum from tendu leaves contractors in return for continuing their business in interiors of seven districts of restive Bastar where Naxals have strong impact since late 1980s.
Reports said that it has become a difficult task for forest officials to protect the tendu leaves contractors and their equipments and other basic facilities available to them for continuing the work.
The district administration had set a target of collecting 87200 sacks of tendu leaves from Rajnandgaon forest range, and 44900 sacks from Khairagarh forest range in the district, but after the Naxal threat, the administration is under pressure about achieving the ambitious target.
According to information only half a dozen forest committees started tendu leaves plucking after the threat, worrying the administration further.
However, Rajnandgaon Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Arun Prasad said the administration had given order to the forest committees to pluck as much tendu leaves as possible and denied the reports of Maoist threat on tendu leaves plucking.