Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai will launch the much-awaited Charan Paduka Yojana in a grand state-level ceremony on June 21 at Tapkara in Jashpur district. The scheme, which fulfills a key promise in the government’s Sankalp Patra, aims to provide dignity, comfort, and support to tendu leaf collector families – an integral part of Chhattisgarh’s forest economy.
In the launch event, free footwear (Charan Padukas) will be distributed to women members of over 12.4 lakh tendu leaf collector families across the state. The scheme not only honors the role of these families in the state’s minor forest produce economy but also provides practical relief to women who work under difficult geographical and climatic conditions collecting tendu leaves.
“This is not just about footwear. It’s about dignity, protection, and the acknowledgment of the role of our forest-based communities,” said CM Sai in a statement ahead of the launch.
The state government has allocated ₹40 crore for the implementation of the scheme, reviving a program that had been discontinued by the previous government. The relaunch is part of the current administration’s broader effort to empower forest-dependent communities and tribal populations, particularly women.
₹745 Crore in Wages for Tendu Leaf Collectors
The Charan Paduka scheme comes alongside major economic support for the same community. Despite setbacks caused by unseasonal rains, storms, and hail, tendu leaf collectors in the state successfully gathered 13.54 lakh standard bags of tendu leaves this season.
According to official figures, tendu leaves worth ₹745 crore have been purchased from these families through 902 primary minor forest produce cooperative societies, covering 10,631 phads (collection centers). The earnings are being transferred directly to the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
So far, over ₹300 crore has already been deposited into the collectors’ bank accounts, with the remainder under process.
CM Sai lauded the hard work of 11.4 lakh families who participated in the tendu leaf collection drive and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the economic and social welfare of tribal and forest-based communities.
