Raipur, November 19, 2025//Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai today participated in the program for assuming charge by the newly appointed Chairman Shri Roop Sai Salam and Vice Chairman Shri Yagyadutt Sharma of Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce (Trade and Development) Cooperative Federation Limited, held at the Medical College auditorium in the capital Raipur. He extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the Chairman and Vice Chairman for their new responsibilities.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that as Chairman, Shri Salam has been entrusted with a very important responsibility, which he will perform excellently with his sensitivity, experience, and efficiency. He mentioned that Shri Salam himself comes from a tribal community and understands the problems, expectations, and needs of the community very well. The Chief Minister said that the state government is continuously striving to increase the income of forest dwellers and ensure their all-round development.
He said that former Prime Minister respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee created the state of Chhattisgarh with a view to the upliftment of the tribal society residing in the state. Along with this, the establishment of a separate tribal ministry at the center has given new momentum to the development of the community. He said that our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also taken forward this spirit and resolve by implementing the ‘Dharti Aaba Gram Utkarsh Yojana’ and ‘PM Janman Yojana’, under which significant work is being done in tribal-majority areas.
The Chief Minister said that tendu leaf collectors in the state are being given the highest price in the country. Special attention is being given to the value addition of forest produce, so that the income of the forest dweller community increases and they achieve real economic strength.
Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap said that it is the good fortune of the state that the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, himself comes from a tribal community and deeply understands the pain, difficulties, and aspirations of the tribal brothers and sisters. He said that 32% of the state’s population is tribal and 44% of the area is forested, therefore forest produce is the main source of livelihood for the forest dwellers. He said that tendu leaf is called ‘green gold’ and Chief Minister Shri Sai has done the work of giving it an appropriate price. Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to increase the price of tendu leaf per standard bag from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,500.
Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap said that Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has not only restarted the Charan Paduka Yojana but has also been continuously taking effective steps to improve the living standards of forest produce collecting families through various schemes.
The program was attended by Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, NAFED Chairman Shri Sanjay Srivastava, Yoga Commission Chairman Shri Roop Narayan Sinha, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Tribal Local Health Tradition and Medicinal Plants Board Shri Vikas Markam, Chairman of Waqf Board Dr. Salim Raj, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shri V. Srinivas Rao, along with members of the Minor Forest Produce Federation and a large number of forest produce collectors from across the state.