The State government has decided to provide customised vehicles to toddy tappers in order to enable them to sell their products.
The move forms part of the efforts to improve the living standards of tappers and enhance their incomes, Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud said. The State government had earlier announced various measures, including setting up of neera cafés in the city as well as in district headquarters and construction of an exclusive building for toddy tappers community.
The Minister was speaking at a meeting convened here on Thursday to distribute ex-gratia to kin of toddy tappers who met with accidental deaths, suffered permanent disabilities and partly disabilities under the Abhaya Hastam scheme. In all, ex gratia of ₹13.96 crore was distributed to 588 beneficiaries.
Animal Husbandry Minister T. Srinivas Yadav also attended the meeting, but Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao, who was scheduled to participate as chief guest, could not attend the meeting. Mr. Srinivas Goud asserted that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is committed to the welfare of toddy tappers.
The government had introduced a scheme wherein only members of the Goud community would be allowed in toddy tapping. Children of tappers who die are being given admission into the residential educational institutions to pursue their education, he said.
Mr. Srinivas Yadav said steps were taken to plant 3.8 crore saplings of toddy plants as part of Harita Haaram in the interests of tappers. He recalled that the government headed by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the united AP ordered closure of toddy shops but the Chief Minister had ensured that they were opened immediately after the formation of separate Telangana State.
