Kendu Leaves – “Green Gold of Odisha”

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.