Bhopal: President Ramnath Kovind has said that it is a reality that no country can progress without the welfare of poor, labourers and backwards, skill is needed in their work also. In the same manner, the work of tendu leaf collection is a skillful work. The tendu leaf collectors and their families accomplish this work skillfully through traditional knowledge. This work has become a medium for their livelihood and has stopped destruction of forest also. The President was addressing the convention of labourers of the unorganized sector and tendu leaf collectors at the remote place Bamori of district Guna on Sunday.
Kovind dedicated and laid foundation of development and construction works costing Rs 127 crore at village Bamori. He also gave an amount of Rs one crore in the form of bonus to 10,000 tendu leaf collectors. Addressing the programme, the President said that we can safeguard our future generation by conserving forest and good utilization of forest produce. Nobody knows forest better than tribal and forest dwellers, forest is protector and medium of their livelihood. They protect each other and hence, the responsibility for their welfare is rest with the society and the state.
Besides, the President stated that it is a matter of pleasure that Mukhyamantri Tendupatta Sangrahak Kalyan Sahayta Yojana has been launched by the Minor Forest Produce Federation in Madhya Pradesh. Scholarship is being given by the federation under the Eklavya Chhatravratti Yojana for the education of tendu leaf collectors children. He further mentioned that the minimum support price scheme for 24 minor forest produce has been implemented by the Union Government so that people dependent on forest for livelihood should get reasonable price and to bring improvement in their life. This scheme will facilitate forest dwellers to get reasonable price.
Kovind said that the unorganised sector constitute over 80 percent of the labour sector of the country, especially labourers engaged in agriculture and construction sector. There is an important need for social security of labourers of unorganized sector. A social security code is being made by the Union Government for the labourers of the unorganized sector so that they should not face any problem, if they fall sick, become handicap and when they grow old. Lauding Madhya Pradesh government, Shri Kovind said that the state government is doing work in this direction since earlier. Special attention has been paid by the state government on small and village industries in the state. As a result about 6 lakh people have got employment during the last 2 years in the state through small industrial units. He also mentioned about the improvement came in the life standard of the labourers from the welfare schemes started in the state under the leadership of the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Governor Anandiben Patel, while addressing the programme said that several schemes have been started by the Madhya Pradesh Government for the welfare and upliftment of poor and the benefits of the schemes are reaching needy. She congratulated CM Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his cabinet for the schemes being implemented for the welfare of all the sections of the society. Smt. Patel, while urging the villagers told them that education is the only medium to get rid of poverty so they must send their children for studies.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the President Kovind has created history first time by visiting the remote area of Guna district. He has been accompanied by the First Lady of the country. He mentioned that today is the remarkable day for Guna district. Chouhan mentioned that work is being carried out for the farmers and labourers besides all the sections of the society. He said that it was the belief of Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya that welfare of person, who is standing at the last line of the society, should be carried out first. The state government is working in the same direction. He stated that residential plot will be given to each poor houseless family of the state. Law has been enacted in the state in this regard. Pucca houses will be given to all the houseless families within 4 years under the Pradhanmantri Awas and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana.