Overview

• At a Bhubaneswar press conference on September 4, senior leaders Debi Prasad Mishra and Niranjan Pujari renewed the call for complete GST exemption on kendu leaves and handloom products.
• They also sought central compensation for an estimated ₹1,000 crore monthly revenue shortfall linked to the revised GST slabs.
• The party noted the rate on both categories was cut from 18% to 5%, arguing kendu leaf pluckers and small handloom weavers will see little tangible benefit.
• BJD highlighted Odisha’s stake as a major producer, citing about 3 lakh quintals of kendu leaves annually—around 20% of national output—with most workers drawn from tribal communities.
• The demand has been pressed since 2018, including letters from then chief minister Naveen Patnaik to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and full exemption remains unaccepted by the Centre.