In anticipation of stepped up claims for ex-gratia from toddy tappers for permanent disablement due to accidental fall from trees after the State government recently hiked the amount from ₹ 2 lakh to ₹ 5 lakh, the government has proposed to tighten the guidelines for release of money.
The government has taken utmost care to exclude cases of intentional self injuries inflicted by tappers, suicide attempts, intoxication or consumption of psychotropic substance and morbidity due to prolonged illness. The cases shall be certified by a medical board constituted by the government. Earlier, certification by a civil surgeon was the norm, sources said.
The government has estimated a budget requirement of ₹30 crore for release of ex-gratia to pending claims of death, permanent and temporary disability due to fall from toddy trees this year. A major chunk of this amount, about ₹25 crore, was only for claims of permanent disablement.
Excise Commissioner R.V. Chandravadan felt it was a path-breaking move that the the government has taken to equate personal disablement with death for the purpose of payment of ex-gratia to toddy tappers. The ex-gratia till recently was limited to ₹50,000 for permanent disablement. The amount was hiked to ₹ 5 lakh on par with death cases which were earlier paid ₹ 2 lakh.
A total of 136 cases of death, 582 permanent disablement and 523 temporary disablement; the last category was paid a mere ₹10,000; were reported since the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014, till March 31 last. Of this, 81 cases of death, 209 of permanent disablement and 335 temporary disablement were paid in 2016-17 out of a sanctioned budget of ₹ 3 crore. It left a pendency of 61 death cases, 499 permanent disablement and 420 temporary disablement.
The government has again allotted ₹ 3 crore for payment of ex-gratia this year though the requirement was nearly ₹ 30 crore but funds were no problem, according to the Commissioner.
Prospective effect
The decision of the government to apply the new rates with prospective effect from April 1 last has not gone down well with tappers unions as they felt it should have been made effective June 2, 2014, or at least June 10, 2015, when Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao made the announcement of hike at Choutuppal while unveiling the pylon of State drinking water grid.
Mr. Palle Laxman Rao Gowd, president of Telangana Gowda Sangham, said the government cannot discriminate against tappers while it fixed State Formation Day as the date of initiation for several other welfare programmes.
