4.2 Policy and its Impact
Sal leaf has been made a lease-barred item
by the NTFP policy of March 2000 on grounds of sustainable
forest management. The policy said that Sal leaf collection
on a commercial basis affects forest health and needs to be
left untouched. Only in exceptional situations, government
corporations and field outfits of Forest Department basing
on sound assessment of silvicultural availability could be
allowed to procure Sal leaf. Though commercial exploitation
of Sal leaf was banned, clandestine operations by local traders
went on, sometimes even in connivance of local foresters.
According to informal sources, average Sal leaf transaction
per annum in Baripada and Karanjia forest divisions, both
rich Sal forest areas, are astronomical, i.e. to the tune
of Rs. 1000 Crores. Betanati block of Mayurbhanj district
is the biggest congregation of small and big traders who control
this trade to a large extent.
Immediately after the policy was made public
in March, there were dissatisfaction and differences regarding
restrictions on Sal leaf exploitation. Since livelihood clashed
with sustainability of forests, a middle path arrangement
in the form of controlled commercialisation was what concerned
policy makers and development workers were looking for. Probably
because of this, restrictions on Sal leaf collection and trade
were withdrawn locally in forest divisions like Baripada,
Karanjia, Keonjhar and Nayagarh where TDCC and OFDC were asked
to procure Sal leaves through VSS. A Government order dated
4th October 2000 made this effective. It was understood that
this change in the trade arrangement would be beneficial from
two angles; firstly, it would protect the Sal leaf procurers
in Sal rich areas, and would create monetary gains for the
Government Corporations. In this arrangement the Government
Corporations were charged royalty on procurement basis that
was fixed at 10% of collection price. No sooner did the GO
made an impact and geared the Government Corporations into
activity than came the other GO of 7th November which turned
things upside down. Private parties were allowed to operate
in the same four forest divisions along with TDCC and OFDC.
With entry of private parties, royalty was reduced to 5% of
collection price on the quantity procured and only a nominal
Rs. 100/- was asked as registration fee with the concerned
DFOs.
Ironically, a product that was restricted
for commercial leasing on grounds of sustainability before
8 months was now made open for full-scale commercial exploitation.
The Government however has not made it clear as to why Sal
leaf trade was made open to commercial interest. It is apprehended,
in retrospect, that Sal leaf had been deliberately kept in
the lease barred section, lest it might get into GP's control
causing colossal loss both to Government and private traders.
Needless to say that vested interests both at the local traders'
and leaders' level and policy makers' at State level are responsible
for such reversal in objectives of forest management. In both
the Government orders, procurement of Sal leaves has been
made mandatory from degraded forests and through VSS. Procurement
ceiling of 1.5 quintals per hectare per annum has also been
fixed. But nothing was mentioned about collection and trade
in non-VSS areas and good forest areas.
Decision of opening Sal leaf for commercial
exploitation seems whimsical and without sensible reason.
If livelihood security was the concern then why limit operation
only to degraded forests and VSS areas? It is as if in non-VSS
areas and in good forest areas, dependence on Sal leaf is
minimal. If it was to revive the Government corporations then
why ask royalty to them and why not some more in terms of
cash to primary collectors?
According to the Government orders, this
entry of private traders in the Sal leaf trade is on an experimental
basis for one year i.e. from 30.09.2000 to 01.10.2001. This
implies that if this trade arrangement succeeds then this
may proceed further or other products in the lease barred
category might follow this arrangement. It is apprehended
that the case of Sal leaf deregulation may not be an isolated
one, it might have been the starting of a process of deregulation
of all other lease-barred items with the objective keeping
them away from purview of GPs. Apart from other operational
hurdles, this arrangement in may lead to a situation of overlapping
of authority as the new policy empowers GPs to play the supervisory
role as regards procurement and trade of NTFP. This implies
that in a revenue unit there will be different monitoring
and supervising agencies for different products.
Plight of Sal leaf pluckers:
A case from Mayurbhanj
'If I had any other option, I would
never have gone for Sal leaf collection. My family is
forced to sell Sal leaf plates as there is no other
source of income', says Ratani Dei, 45 year old Santal
woman from Jarala village in Karanjia block of Mayurbhanj
district. For tribal women in Mayurbhanj collection
and selling of Sal leaf cup and plates, though not remunerative
and commensurate with labour, is a major source of income.
She along with her family members spends more than 12
hours (6 in the morning to 6 in the evening) a day to
collect one bag of Sal leaves that invariably contains
1000 - 1200 leaves. On the second day, they stitch the
leaves and make plates and pali (pali is two leaves
stitched and later on compressed to chautis or cups).
About 6-7 leaves are required to stitch one plate that
means that about 200 plates are stitched from one day's
collection. On the third day, the plates are dried and
made ready for binding and sale. Three days of hard
labour fetches the entire family a mere sum of 10-12
rupees, provided the Government declared rates (Rs 5/-
per one chaki of 80 plates) are given. Interestingly,
the Government rates are fixed for 80 plates but traders
collect 100 plates for the same price.
Ratani Dei in her rustic innocence asks
a fundamental question, 'can't Government rates for
procurement of Sal leaf plates be raised a bit so that
we are a little comfortable. We hear that local traders
from Betanati and Karanjia are making a fortune by selling
the Sal leaf plates to the next traders in the ladder
at an exorbitant price, sometimes even 20 rupees per
chaki. Though during the rainy season rates increase
and go to the tune of 9-10 rupees per chaki, we are
unable to fetch that price since we do not have space
for storage. There are instances when properly dried
plates have been stored for about one year, but if the
colour changes from green to red which it does invariably,
the trader starts grumbling and reduces the price.'
|
Immediately after entry of the private traders
into Sal leaves trade, a public interest litigation was filed
which challenged the GO of 7th November on grounds of sustainable
forest management. It apprehended that commercial interest
might lead to unsustainable means for collection of Sal leaves
thus proving detrimental to forest health. Simultaneously,
there was a demand for withdrawal of the 5% royalty that was
supposed to be given by the private traders. Subsequently,
private traders went to the High Court on a writ petition
challenging the authority of the concerned DFO to levy royalty
as well as authority of the concerned DFO to ask for trade
and transit permit as Sal leaf plates and cups are not forest
produces. In 1987, the Orissa High Court had ruled that trade
and transit permit was not necessary, as the leaf ceased to
be a forest produce after undergoing a manufacturing process.
Considering the writ petition on grounds mentioned, the Orissa
High Court has now given an interim stay on levy of 5% royalty
and the trade and transit permit required to send consignments
outside the state. This has contributed to chaos in Sal leaf
procurement. Though primary gatherers might not suffer much
in such a situation, the worst sufferer once again is the
forest.
4.3 Important Trade Aspects
Fig.5
- Trade Channel of Sal Leaf plate |
