BERHAMPUR: Around 65,000 tribal and dalit bamboo cutters working at remote jungle areas of Orissa are observing protest week since January 2 demanding an end to their exploitation and increase in their daily wages. According to the president of the Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union (OFMU), Ranjan Pradhan, the bamboo cutters in 23 forest divisions of the State are holding small demonstrations to highlight their list of nine demands in front of their respective bamboo collection centres. It is an effort to organise the bamboo cutters for their legal rights.

Minimum wage

The bamboo cutters are now being paid Rs. 52.50 per day, which they want to be revised to Rs. 70 per day that the Chief Minister has declared as the minimum wage for menial labourers in the State. Their other demands include dragging and re-bundling charges to be increased by 20 per cent, provision of medical facilities near the bamboo cutting centres, collection of Rs.50 from each truck load of bamboo transported from jungle towards Bamboo Cutters Welfare Fund. The general secretary of the OFMU, D.Mohanty said they are also demanding State Government provide appointments as supervisors in bamboo cutting operation in remote jungle areas with some monthly wage.

Now they are treated as temporary employees on daily wage. Bamboo cutting operation started in the Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Nayagarh, Bolangir, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul districts from Nov. 20 last year. It will continue till June 30. The JK Paper Mill and Seva paper mill are involved in the collection of bamboo from the Orissa forests under the supervision of the State Forest Department and the Orissa Forest Development Corporation. The JK paper mill is expected to collect one lakh tonnes of bamboo while the Seva paper mill would amass 55,000 tonnes of bamboo from Orissa forests. The largest number of bamboo cutters live in south Orissa .

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