Chhattisgarh government has relaunched Charan Paduka Yojana and made a budgetary allocation of Rs. 50 in CG Budget 2025-26. Under this scheme, the state govt. will provide a pair of shoes every year to tribal people who collect tendu leaves. Read this article till the end to know complete details about CG Charan Paduka Yojana including shoes distribution list (year wise), relaunch date, its benefits, background, among others.
On 3rd March 2025, Finance Minister OP Choudhary presented Chhattisgarh Budget 2025-26. While delivering CG Budget Speech 2025-26, FM said “अध्यक्ष महोदय, भारतीय वन सर्वेक्षण के अनुसार छत्तीसगढ़ राज्य ने वनक्षेत्र में सर्वाधिक वार्षिक वृद्धि दर्ज की है। हमारे राज्य के वन क्षेत्र न केवल पर्यावरण संतुलन के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हैं, बल्कि राज्य के आर्थिक एवं सामाजिक विकास के ताना बाना के धागा भी हैं। पिछली सरकार ने तेंदुपत्ता संग्रहण करने वाले आदिवासी भाई-बहनों के प्रति असंवेदनशीलता का परिचय देते हुये से चरणपादुका योजना बंद कर दिया था। हमारी जनहितैषी सरकार ने इस निर्णय को पलटते हुए चरण पादुका योजना को पुनः चालु किया और इस बजट में 50 करोड़ का पुनः प्रावधान भी रखा है।”
FM added “हमारी सरकार ने सत्ता में आते ही हरा सोना के नाम से प्रसिद्ध तेंदुपत्ता के संग्रहण दर को 4000 रूपये प्रति मानक बोरा से बढ़ाकर 5500 रूपये प्रति मानक बोरा करने का निर्णय लिया, इसके लिए हमने 204 करोड़ का प्रावधान किया है। राजमोहिनी देवी तेंदुपत्ता संग्राहक सामाजिक सुरक्षा योजना के संचालन हेतु 40 करोड़ का प्रावधान रखा गया है।” Charan Paduka Yojana in CG Budget 2025-26
Charan Paduka Yojana Relaunch Details
CG Charan Paduka Yojana has been relaunched by CM Vishnu Deo Sai led Chhattisgarh government. The announcement for relaunch of shoes distribution scheme for tendu leaves collectors (तेंदूपत्ता संग्राहक) was earlier made by the hon’ble CM on 1 August 2024 and now budgetary provision of Rs. 50 crore has been made.
Around 1.49 crore pair of shoes had already been distributed under Charan Paduka Yojana from 2006-2007 to 2017-2018. The scheme was successfully running in Chhattisgarh but after assembly elections in year 2018, Congress party stopped this scheme. Now after winning assembly elections in the year 2023, BJP led CG state govt. has relaunched this Charan Paduka Yojana.
Who are Major Beneficiaries of Charan Paduka Yojana?
Tendu leaves collecting is done by lakhs of tribal people in Chhattisgarh state. For these tendu leaves pluckers, CG govt. purchases shoes and chappal every year. One male and female member from a single family can get these shoes/chappals under Charan Paduka Yojana. It is estimated that the new Charan Paduka Yojana 2025 would benefit more than 14 lakh tenu leaves gatherers every year.
Distribution of Charanpaduka’s to Tendu leaves Gatherers
The Govt. of Chhattisgarh has decided to provide Charanpaduka (Shoes/Chappal) to one member in each family of Tendu leaves gatherers from 2006-07 onwards. Only those families are eligible for above who collects minimum 500 gaddies in at least one year in preceding two years. The details of charanpaduka distributed in different years are as follows :-
Year
Distributed Charanpaduka (In Lakh Pair)
Charanpaduka Details
2006-07
12.53
Ladies / Gents Shoes
2007-08
12.60
Ladies / Gents Shoes
2008-09
12.82
Ladies Shoes
2009-10
13.22
Ladies Shoes
2010-11
13.76
Gents Shoes
2011-12
11.45
Ladies Chappal
2012-13
11.62
Gents Shoes
2013-14
12.55
Gents Shoes
2014-15
12.53
Ladies Chappal
2015-16
12.33
Gents Shoes
2016-17
11.57
Ladies Chappal
2017-18
12.01
Gents Shoes
What are the Benefits of Charan Paduka Yojana?
In some areas of Chhattisgarh state, tribal people work as tendu leaf collectors. Tendu leaves are used in making bidis, a type of cigarette. In the tribal areas, these leaves are commonly referred to as green gold. The tribal people earn their livelihood from the income generated from tendu patta sale.
To collect tendu leaves, tribals have to go to dense forests and works barefoot while picking leaves. Due to this, pebbles and thorns prick their feet. Sometimes snakes and scorpions also come under their feet. To save them from this suffering, the Chhattisgarh government has relaunched the Charan Paduka Yojana.
Background of Charan Paduka Yojana in Chhattisgarh
Charan Paduka Yojana is an important scheme of Chhattisgarh govenment which firstly got launched in November 2005. In this scheme, tribal people working as tenu leaves pluckers gets 1 pair of shoes/chappal from CG state government. Initially under this scheme, only one male member of the family was given one pair of shoes in a year. In 2008, women were also brought under the ambit of this scheme. During 2008-09 and 2009-10, only shoes were given to women under this scheme by the state government. But, on the request of women, slippers /chappal were given to them instead of shoes from 2011-12 onwards.
