Bhopal, Oct 4 — Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday announced that more than 21 lakh tendu leaf collectors across Madhya Pradesh would receive a total bonus exceeding Rs 139 crore.
He described nature-worshipping tribal communities as the state’s heritage and said their contribution to protecting and managing forests is incomparable.
Participating in a training-cum-awareness programme and tendu leaf bonus distribution event for members of Primary Forest Produce Cooperative Societies in Mandla district, he affirmed the government’s commitment to secure the rights, respect the hard work, and protect the interests of tribal families and tendu leaf collectors.
Responding to local demands, Yadav also announced the opening of government colleges in Mohgaon and Ghughri, minor forest produce processing units in Mandla under the MSME Department, a tiger safari zoo to attract domestic and foreign tourists, and the revival of traditional betel cultivation in the district.
Tendu leaves are used by tribal people and people of economically weaker sections in rural areas to roll bidis. It generates additional income for them.
Yadav transferred a bonus of Rs 36.17 crore (Rs 36,17,37,518) for 2024 to 9,04,126 tendu leaf collectors from eight forest divisions — East and West Mandla, North and South Seoni, North and South Balaghat, Dindori and Jabalpur. He also distributed a timber dividend of Rs 26.56 lakh to about 40,000 members of 84 forest committees that assist the Forest Department in Mandla.
The Chief Minister presented Mandla district with 74 development works worth approximately Rs 460 crore. This included the groundbreaking of 47 projects valued at over Rs 263 crore and the inauguration of 27 projects worth more than Rs 197 crore. Among the initiatives were 19 government high school buildings (Rs 75.28 crore), a new integrated collector’s office (Rs 33.92 crore), a nursing college building (Rs 14.80 crore), a Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centre (Rs 1 crore), and four newly constructed Sandipani school buildings in Niwas, Bichhiya, Ghuthas and Sagar (Rs 137.11 crore).
He also said milk cooperatives would be set up in Mandla as required to help raise the state’s share of national milk production from 12 per cent to 20 per cent. The Chief Minister inaugurated the programme by worshipping girls, garlanding portraits of Rani Durgavati, Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah, and lighting the ceremonial lamp.
He later visited the Farmer Welfare Year exhibition and distributed “scooties” to meritorious students under the “Chief Minister’s Scooty Scheme,” personally fitting them with helmets and blessing them for academic progress.