Raipur, April 21 : The Chhattisgarh government has given a big relief to the tribals who collect the forest produce. It has now decided to purchase Mahua at an increased price of Rs 30 per kilogram from Rs 18 earlier. Till last year, Mahua flower was purchased at the rate of Rs 18 per kg, but this time there is a lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic and business has been affected. In order to provide some relief to the tribals, the state government has increased the rate of purchase of Mahua by about 60 per cent. An official statement said that in the midst of the corona epidemic, the state government is striving to facilitate every section and provide employment opportunities to them. Efforts are also being made to provide relief to the forest produce collectors. Hence, it has been decided to increase the rate of Mahua. Meanwhile, an amount of about Rs 650 crore will be paid to 13 lakh tendu patta collecting families in the state. People living in the forest areas will get more benefit due to this decision o f the state government. Mahua is an important source of livelihood for tribals in the forest areas. After its collection, the tribals dry the Mahua and sell it at the support price. /IANS