Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the top priority of the state government is to ensure well being of the common people, without which progress of the state is meaningless. The Chief Minister was addressing a function organised here a Lal Parade Ground today to present Star Awards to the promoted employees of the forest department and distribution of bonus to tendu leaf pluckers of Bhopal division. The Chief Minister said that the forest personnel would get timely promotions and other facilities. He said that the amount of ex-gratia paid to the kin of forest personnel who die while protecting forests has been doubled to Rs. 10 lakh. He said that it has been decided to provide umbrellas and shoes to about 14 lakh tendu pluckers free of cost to protect them against rains and sun. Chouhan said that a sum of Rs 114.60 crore is being distributed as bonus to about 15 lakh tendu leaf pluckers for year 2007. He said that this has become possible due to the tendu leaf policy framed in year 2004. He said that tendu leaf collection rates have been increased from Rs 400 to Rs 500 during last two years. Similarly, the amount of bonus, which was 50 percent, has been increased to 60 percent of the net profit from year 2004. Chouhan said that the minimum wage for workers ahs been increased from Rs 69 to Rs 85 per day in the state. He also informed about the provisions of Mukhya Mantri Majdoor Suraksha Yojana. The Chief Minister made a token distribution of bonus to one male and one female pluckers of Bhopal, Vidisha, Sehore, Raisen, Rajgarh and Obedullahganj forest divisions.