Mandla: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on October 4 transferred ₹36.17 crore in bonus payments to 9,04,126 tendu leaf collectors from eight forest divisions for the 2024 collection season.
The beneficiaries included collectors from the East and West forest divisions of Mandla, North and South divisions of Seoni and Balaghat, as well as forest divisions in Dindori and Jabalpur.
Yadav said more than 21 lakh tendu leaf collectors across Madhya Pradesh would receive over ₹139 crore in bonus payments for 2024.
The Chief Minister was speaking at a training-cum-awareness programme for members of primary forest produce cooperative societies and a tendu leaf bonus distribution programme in Mandla.
₹26.56 Crore Timber Dividend Distributed
The Chief Minister also distributed ₹26.56 crore as timber dividend to around 40,000 members of 84 forest committees in Mandla district.
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The payments were made to committees that assist the Forest Department in protecting the district’s forests.
Yadav said the government was working to strengthen livelihoods linked to forest produce and improve the returns received by families involved in its collection.
74 Development Projects Worth ₹460 Crore Announced
During his visit, Yadav also launched or initiated development works in Mandla worth approximately ₹460 crore.
The package comprises:
- 47 works worth more than ₹263 crore for which foundation stones were laid.
- 27 completed works worth more than ₹197 crore that were inaugurated.
Among the projects for which foundation stones were laid were 19 government high school buildings costing ₹75.28 crore, a new integrated Collectorate building in Mandla costing ₹33.92 crore, a nursing college building costing ₹14.80 crore and a Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centre (TMMC) building costing ₹1 crore.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated four newly constructed Sandipani School buildings in Niwas, Bichhiya, Ghutas and Sagar towns, built at a combined cost of ₹137.11 crore.
Colleges, Forest Produce Processing Unit Among Announcements
Yadav announced that government colleges would be opened in Mohgaon and Ghughri in Mandla district.
He also announced a minor forest produce processing unit under the state’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, citing the substantial collection of minor forest produce in the district.
Other announcements included plans for a tiger safari zoo in Mandla and restarting betel leaf cultivation in the district.
The Chief Minister also said dairy cooperatives would be established in Mandla as required, with the stated objective of providing dairy farmers appropriate returns for their milk.
Scooters Distributed to Meritorious Students
During the programme, Yadav visited an exhibition organised around Kisan Kalyan Varsh and reviewed stalls put up by various government departments.
He also distributed scooters to meritorious students from the district under the Mukhyamantri Scooty Yojana, handing over the keys and helmets to the beneficiaries.
The event was attended by Public Health Engineering Minister Sampatiya Uikey and former Union minister and Mandla Lok Sabha MP Faggan Singh Kulaste, among other officials and public representatives.
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