MillenniumPost
Bengal

State fixes supporting price of 12 forest products to keep middlemen at bay

Kolkata: The state government has fixed the supporting price of 12 forest products to save their collectors from the clutches of the middlemen. Some middlemen have become active for quite sometime in Jungalmahal districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and West Midnapore and are allegedly buying forest products from the collectors at throwaway prices.

The state government will buy tamarind at Rs 31/ kg, saal seeds at Rs 20/kg, Mahua seeds at Rs 25/kg and Haritaki at Rs 15/ kg.

In addition to this, Neem will be bought at Rs 23/ kg, Amlaki at Rs 45/ kg, Kalmegh at Rs 27/ kg and saal leaves at Rs 30/kg. The state government will process some of the forest products and market them. The profit will be spent for the benefit of the tribals.

Godowns will be set up to store forest products. A senior state government official said as the supporting price of various forest products has been fixed. Businessmen will be forced to pay the amount to the collectors or more, he said.

It may be mentioned that earlier the state government had fixed the supporting price of Kendu leaves. The Kendu leaf collectors have been brought under the social security schemes. In case they meet with an accident while working, the state government will bear the expenditure of treatment and in case of their premature death their next of kin will get Rs 2 lakh. The Kendu leaf collectors will work till they attain the age of 60 years.

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