Unsold stocks of Tendu leaves continue to decay in the godowns of the Large Sized Adivasi Multipurpose co-operative society (LAMPS). There was been very little sales for the last two and a half years from LAMPS, even while fresh stocks come pouring in. Unsold stocks have led to a disquiet among the tribal population in Jhargram. Tendu leaves, a forest produce are collected by tribals from the forests and are an important source of their livelihood. The erstwhile Left Front government had set up the LAMPS to protect the interests of the tribals from unscrupulous middlemen who were exploiting the tribals by purchasing these leaves cheaply. The LAMPS collects Tendu leaves from actual pluckers and stores them in its godowns and auctions them.
However, since the last two years Tendu Leaves have not been sold through the LAMPS. The Manager of the Jhargram LAMPS Sanjay Majhi says that still 500 and 800 sacks of the years 2012 and 2013 respectively are lying unsold where as the new stock of 300 sacks produced in 2014 have arrived. Since the centre is not able to sell off the leaves, the current year’s procurement target has been reduced from 825 sacks to 500 sacks. This year the government will be able to purchase the leaves from only 1200-1300 families, while initially it used to be around 2200-2300 families. Around a thousand families would lose their livelihood this year.
While during the year 2011-12 a chata of leaves fetched them Rs. 65/- tribals are now selling leaves to commission agents at just 45 rupees per chata. Each chata has 100 bundles of 20 leaves each.
A total of 144 LAMPS were set up during the tenure of the Left Front government. However only one additional LAMPS has been set up during the three year tenure of the TMC government in the state. The primary function of the LAMPS is the auctioning of the leaves.
In 2012, manager of the Raipur LAMPS in Bankura Shashi Bhushan Prahraj wrote a letter to Upen Bishvas, minister in the Bengal Cabinet pointing out that not a single leaf has been sold by the LAMPS in the district. The letter said that the local LAMPS had a stock of 3350 sacks of leaves lying with it. If these stocks remain unsold it will be unable to pay off the loan of Rs. 31,29,500 that it had taken from the Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation Ltd. The letter warned that if they fail to sell this stock, the livelihood of around 500 families will be affected.
This condition is being exploited by commission agents, who are making a killing at the cost of the adivasis. Secretary of the Adivasi Adhikaar Manch and the CPI(M) candidate from Jhargram Lok Sabha constituency Dr. Pulin Bihari Baske was skeptic about expecting anything from this government. He lamented that while on the one hand the Life, livelihood, land and rights of tribal’s are under stake the Chief Minister has nothing to offer except assurances.
April 3, 2014