Bhubaneswar: June 27: Naveen Patnaik, chief minister of Odisha, has once more requested that the GST on kendu (tendu) leaves be removed.
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Odisha chief minister stated that the imposition of 18% GST on kendu (tendu) leaves is hurting the kendu leaves trade. This impacts the livelihoods of Kendu leaf pickers, binders, and seasonal laborers, as well as the implementation of social security and welfare programs for them.
As part of their rights defined under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006, the tribal people collect the leaves. They are permitted to acquire and sell these items, Naveen stated.
In the letter, the chief minister of Odisha requested that Kendu (Tendu) leaves be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the interest of a large segment of the population dependent on these leaves for their livelihoods.
