Almost 75 percent of plucking of Tendupatta, considered a green gold for forest dwellers in Chhattisgarh, has now been completed.
An official communication on Friday said the government has taken several steps for the tribal people which include procurement of minor forest produce at support price, increase in the rate of Tendupatta collectors and collection of agriculture and minor forest produce besides value addition.
Earlier, Tendupatta was procured at Rs. 2,500 per standard bag but now the rate has risen to Rs. 4,000.
Of the total quantity of Tendupatta collected so far, 122,310 standard bags have come from the Sukma forest division.
Similarly, 24,963 standard bags have come from Keshkal, 20,971 from Jagdalpur, 18,608 from South Kondagaon and 15,630 standard bags from the Dantewada Forest Division.
Villagers living in forest areas consider Tendupatta as green gold. In summer, when they have no work in fields, they collecting Tendupatta to make money.