Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
BOX 4: Collection and sale of tendu leaves by Gram Sabhas in Vidharba
Tendu leaves are a major source of livelihood for over 450,000 families in
rural eastern Maharashtra. The state Forest Department was managing
collection and sale of tendu leaves under “Maharashtra Forest Produce (FP)
(Regulation of Trade) Act, 1969 and Maharashtra FP (Regulation of Trade in
Tendu Leaves) Rules, 1969. This process continued even after FRA came into
force in 2006. In 2013 the Forest Department was planning for tendu leaf
collection in seven forest circles. Some of these were Gram Sabhas which
had already received their CFR rights. NGOs like VNCS and KHOJ working
with these villages brought this to the notice of the then State Principal
Secretary of Forests, who called a meeting under Chairmanship of the State
Chief Secretary at Mumbai in February 2013, including officials from the
Department of Tribal Development, Revenue and Law & Judiciary. It was
agreed that tendu leaves should be collected and sold by Gram Sabhas and
contradictory rules obstructing this would be accordingly amended. A letter
was issued by Deputy Secretary (Forests) in May 2013 recognizing Gram
Sabhas as the Agent (Abhikarta) of the FD to collect tendu. Gram Sabhas
refused to work as the Agents of FD when they had complete rights to collect
and sell under the FRA. Eighteen Gram Sabhas then decided to collect and
sell tendu leaves from their CFR and other areas, from where they have been
traditionally collecting the leaves.
Following this a group of Gram Sabhas (GGSs) was formed based on their
traditional areas of collection of tendu leaves, dividing 18 villages into 4
units. A Technical Advisory Committee was set up comprising two members
each from the 18 Gram Sabhas, representatives from VNCS and KHOJ, Chief
Conservator of Forests, District Conservator Forests, and a Technical Adviser,
the representatives of lead banks were nominated as the members of this
committee to guide and monitor the process. Tender document was prepared
through a joint consultation of Technical Experts, VNCS team, members of
the Gram Sabhas and finally signed and issued by the representatives of the
508 Annexures