TNI Bureau: BJD on Thursday reiterated its demand for complete GST exemption on kendu leaves and handloom products, urging the Centre to protect the livelihood of tribals and weavers in Odisha. Senior leaders Debi Prasad Mishra and Niranjan Pujari said the revised GST rates, which lowered tax on handloom products from 18% to 5% and on kendu leaves from 18% to 12%, still burden poor workers.

The leaders argued that kendu leaf collectors, mostly tribals and dalits, gain nothing from the partial reduction, while handloom weavers, belonging to weaker sections, also struggle under the 5% levy. They recalled that former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written multiple letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman since 2018, but the appeal was ignored. BJD said complete exemption remains essential to support these communities and offset a monthly revenue loss of ₹1,000 crore.