Minister for Prohibition and Excise (P & E) T. Padma Rao on Wednesday categorically stated that there were no deaths due to consumption of adulterated toddy as claimed by the Opposition and reported by the media.
He was replying to a question by Members V. Srinivas Goud, Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy, Dasari Manohar Reddy and Durgam Chinnaiah.
To another question, he said that Government had sanctioned Rs.28.25 lakh towards payment of ex-gratia for toddy tappers and pointed out that the ex-gratia for those who died and those who suffered permanent disability on falling from trees was enhanced from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs.5 lakh. Also, he said that the monthly pension for those above 50 years of age and unable to climb a tree was enhanced from a mere Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000.
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Mr. Srinivas Goud said that there was a long-pending demand for toddy tappers’ societies to be taken out of the purview of the P & E Department and brought under the fold of the cooperative sector.
The members underscored the need for palm tree plantation be taken up on all tank bunds in the State, as a part of the Government’s much-talked-about afforestation programme, ‘Harita Haaram’. They also felt that high-yielding palm tree varieties needed to be grown, apart from which newer, safer technology could be introduced.
The Minister said that they were in the process of trying out a new toddy-tapping machine from Kerala and once it was done, they would consider bringing it to Telangana. The plan as of now was to plant 5 lakh palm trees across the State over a span of five years.
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