Sal leaf - livelihood of tribals in Jungalmahal

 

Picture : Making of Pattals of Sal leaves and drying

 

Picture : Tribal from Tudu community in Jadabganj earns his livelihood from Sal leaf.

Livelihood of forest dwellers and tribals is mainly dependent on Minor forest produce like Sal Leaves. These tribals collects leaves from Forest and makes Pattals/ stitched leaf plates for sale in the market. It takes one day for two labourers to make 2000 plates using sal leaves, stiched by sticks. Thereafter, the leaf plates are required to be stitched using machines before these are sold in town markets.

This tribal person stated to me that he and his wife make 2000 plates in a day and gets Rs 300 wages. Family can get Rs 302 under MGNREGA provided local GPs generates enough works.

The machine used to stitch sal leaves costs only approximately Rs 7500 which adds value to the produce. This person claims that he can also use the machine and could have got more than Rs 500 wages for the work but he can't afford to buy one.

Sal making machines were supplied to different SHGs and are in use. There is need to supply more. My interaction with these tribal during recent visit prompts me to think about a larger plan for development of this sector, value addition by skill development and market linkage in a systematic manner.

Re visited Sanatan Tudu in Bonpara Ausgram1 block - Geetanjali housing completed.

In my earlier posts I narrated the story of Sanatan Tudu, tribal living in kutcha muddy house in Bonpara village of Ausgram1 block. While visiting watershed project sites on 21st February 2013 I met this young hard working man in his 40s. He told us that their family is not enlisted in BPL and MGNREGA works is the only source of family income, besides day labourer on others land. Family is landless and owns only homestead land where they live in kutcha house.  During interactions, he demanded more works under MGNREGA and a house under IAY.

 

I am happy that after this visit Bdo Ausgram1 not only sanctioned Rs 1.65 Lakhs for pucca house under Geetanjali scheme to economically weaker sections but also constructed the house in record two months time.

 

Now, Sanatan and his family has a pucca house of their own. I visited them last week and found them quite happy. They got more works under MGNREGA after our intervention. Time bound specific intervention as per needs of tribal is required in all areas.

 

 

TEAM BURDWAN: Sanatan Tudu's open air kitchen. Got new pucca hou...

TEAM BURDWAN: Sanatan Tudu's open air kitchen. Got new pucca hou...: This is open air kitchen of Sanatan Tudu, a poor tribal having kutcha mud hut in Bonpara village of Ausgram1.  In this picture his father a...