Hyderabad: Telangana CPM state secretary John Wesley has demanded that the government start the process of calling for tendu leaves tenders forthwith. He stated that the delay is leading to concerns among the ten lakh tribals and non-tribals, who rely on this for their livelihood.
In a release here on Sunday, he said, “If the government doesn’t want to call for tenders it should collect the leaves through the forest department and give orders for doing so. The work provides employment in around 14 districts and benefits 10 lakh people. It further gives indirect employment to thousands of others in loading and unloading bundles. Once the tender process is completed pruning of trees is done to increase output. But this process has been delayed this year and the forest department seems to have neglected this. Income from tendu leaves is pivotal for the economic survival of tribals.”
