Context:
Gram Sabhas in Odisha’s Koraput District Seek Deregulation of Kendu Leaf Trade.
Background
- Location: Eight Gram Sabhas in Boipariguda block, Koraput district, Odisha.
- Action: These communities have harvested over 4 lakh bundles of kendu leaves during the 2025 season.
- Key Villages: Kalatha Jodi, Kupuli Guda, Badali Beda, among others.
Kendu Leaves – “Green Gold of Odisha”
- Known as Tendu Leaf in other regions, kendu leaves are essential Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs).
- The leaves are primarily used for bidi rolling (local cigarettes) and have medicinal properties.
- Key Producer States: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh.
Legal Framework – Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006:
- FRA (2006): Recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities to collect, use, and sell minor forest produce (MFP) like kendu leaves.
- 2012 FRA Amendment:
- Empowers communities to process, store, transport, and sell MFP without paying royalties or needing government approval.
- Transit Permits: Must be issued by the Community Forest Rights Management Committee (CFRMC), which has the authority under the FRA.
Request for Deregulation
- The Gram Sabhas seek to manage and sell kendu leaves independently under FRA’s legal framework.
- The state government’s Odisha Kendu Leaf (Control of Trade) Act should not override the FRA, as the latter’s provisions have legal supremacy.
Significance
- Kendu leaves are a crucial livelihood source for tribal communities in Odisha.
- Granting the right to independently manage the trade would improve their economic autonomy and reduce government control.
