Naveen raises purchase price of kendu leaves

Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced an increase in the price of kendu leaf collected by pluckers mostly belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities.

Making a statement in the Orissa Assembly, Mr Patnaik said the increase would benefit nearly eight lakh kendu leaf pluckers most of whom were women.

The Chief Minister said the price of the leaves had been increased from Rs 1250 to Rs 1350 per quintal for grading, binding and packaging charges.

He said the purchase price of kendu leaves have also been increased from 21 and half paise to 23 paise for a kerry of twenty leaves in the process area and 43 paise to 46 paise for a kerry of forty leaves in phal area of the state during 2007 kendu leaf crop year.

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