BARIPADA: The forest-dwellers in three north Orissa districts of Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Keonjhar have been living in penury ever since the government imposed royalty on sal leaves in April, 2005. The villagers in at least 12 blocks in Mayurbhanj, five blocks in Balasore and six in Keonjhar have been facing hardships due to heavy royalty of ` 60 per quintal of dry sal leaves.Once widely known for record collection of sal leaves, production of sal leaves in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts have been affected badly due to several factors like climate change and untimely rain in the last couple of years. Massive deforestation, timber smuggling and chopping down of small sal plants for use as tooth sticks by the locals have also contributed to acute shortage of the leaves.A collector, Chinmay Hembram said he used to collect dry sal leaves near his village forest and sell it to local vendors. However, he stopped collecting the leaves after imposition of heavy royalty. “Working as a daily labourer, though is the only option, it is a difficult choice as the contractors to cheat us during disbursement of wages,” he rued.The leaf collectors’ profits have dwindled with the traders, who collect the packaged leaves from the primary collectors through agents, passing on the burden to them.The decline in collection of sal leaves has also hampered the trade related to leaf bowls, plates and other use and throw items made of sal leaves. The traders too rue the loss. Rajesh Kumar Agarwal from Betnoti said the industry has suffered a great loss after the royalty came into force. He said though the State Government had promised to reduce the royalty on sal leaf collection, no action has been taken yet.Even as the forest-dwellers had taken out several agitations like staging a demonstration before the Assembly in Bhubaneswar demanding scraping of the royalty, their pleas went in vain.“The tribals will be left in the lurch if the royalty is not relaxed,” said Guruva Soren, a social worker. Educationist Kulamani Biswal said the State Government’s focus on mega industries should not be at the cost of tribals. “It should also mull over development of the tiny and cottage industries. The stitching and pressing of sal leaves for plate-making is a neglected sector. Had the government cared a bit more for it, it would have provided employment to a large number of people,” he stated.The forest-dwellers have urged the State Government to take necessary measures to reduce the royalty on dry sal leaves, the only source of sustenance for most of the tribals of the districts.
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