HYDERABAD: After announcing various welfare schemes for dalits and BCs, the Telangana government is planning to roll out another scheme for over 2 lakh palm toddy tappers.
Now, the state plans to give mopeds to each one of them. Each moped is estimated at Rs 60,000 and the scheme would cost the state approximately Rs 1,200 crore.
“To begin with, about 15,000 toddy tappers would be given mopeds costing Rs 60,000 each,” excise minister V Srinivas Goud said. For this, the government is planning to spend about Rs 90 crore this financial year.
The proposal has already been prepared by both the BC welfare and excise departments which would now be sent for cabinet approval.
Sources said the cabinet is likely to clear the proposal in the next meeting. Official sources said customised two-wheeler design has been readied to suit the requirements of the toddy tappers.
“The design of the two-wheeler would also be placed before the cabinet for approval,” a senior official of the excise department said.
Telangana government has been announcing a series of welfare schemes for both Dalits and BCs in the past few years.
Recently, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced Dalit Bandhu scheme, extending Rs 10 lakh financial assistance to Dalits.
A couple of years ago, the Telangana government had come up with Sheep units’ distribution programme for BCs.
In the first phase, nearly 80 lakh units were distributed with an expenditure of Rs 6,070 crore. Now, in the second phase, which was started from Huzurabad, another Rs 6,000 crore would be spent.
The CM had also recently announced an insurance scheme for family members of toddy tappers and weavers who met with accidental death or suffered permanent disabilities.
The state had announced free power to nayee brahmins’ hair salons and decided to set up modern hairdressing salons in villages.
“Among the BCs, after Yadavs and Mudirajs, toddy tappers are in huge numbers. The government wants to help them,” a senior official said.
