In a big tribal outreach for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Bhopal on Friday morning, his second visit in seven months. He inaugurated the Forest Produce Collectors Convention in Jambori Maidan, did a road show and distributed Rs 67 crore to 22.6 lakh tendu patta (leaves) collectors, which is the biggest source of livelihood for tribals in the state.
In his 12-hour visit to state capital Bhopal, the Home Minister distributed approximately Rs 296 to each tendu patta collectors.
Madhya Pradesh's forest area is 94,689 square kilometres, the highest in India. Forest committees are working in 15,608 villages for public participation in managing 79.70 lakh hectares of forest area in the state.
Tribal families living in remote areas were given remuneration of Rs 415 crore and dividend of Rs 192 crore by collecting tendu leaves even after the lockdown due to COVID-19 in the 2020-21 tendu patta season.
But this year, profit from the sale of tendu leaves has declined to Rs 67 crore, down from last year's Rs 192 crore, the lowest in five years, and each of the 22 lakh tendu collectors will be entitled to get only Rs 296.
In his address at the Van Samiti Sammelan, Mr Shah announced change of status of 827 "forest villages" into "revenue villages". There was a demand that these areas be declared revenue villages to ensure their development as there are restrictions on undertaking projects in forest areas.
"This is a government of the poor, Scheduled Tribes, Dalits and Backward Classes. During the Congress government's time, only Rs 21,000 crore was provided for the welfare of (tribal) people, but after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, funds for tribal uplift were enhanced to Rs 78,000 crore," the Home Minister said.
The Congress, meanwhile, alleged that for distributing Rs 67 crore, the BJP government spent up to Rs 25 crore from the state treasury.
"Just doing the event will not benefit tendu patta collectors, tribals...concrete plans will have to be made for their upliftment. The BJP is not worried about tribals, they are doing this in view of elections," former Chief Minister Kamal Nath said.
Madhya Pradesh has a strong tribal population of 1.53 crore; 47 assembly seats are reserved for tribals. In 2018, the BJP won 16 of the 47 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), down from 31 ST seats it won in 2013.
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