Hyderabad: The Telangana government would be starting the Neera Cafe from the month of August as the product got the licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud said the State government has ambitiously introduced the Neera policy for the development and welfare of toddy tappers in the state. As part of this, the most important milestone in the Neera policy was to obtain the essential certification of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) licence to manufacture, pack and sell Neera, Neera by-products, jaggery, sugar, Neera syrups and other by-products. It is a great golden age in the history of Neera, said Srinivas Goud.

The minister said that the Neera and toddy was also consumed by gods because of its medicinal value, which he claimed can cure cancer, kidneys and weakness of nerves. He said that a product of such a quality was banned by the earlier governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh. Recognising the value of the product, the chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao brought a policy on Neera, said Goud.

The ambitious Neera Cafe would be coming up with a cost of Rs 10 crore at Necklace Roads. The cafe would be inaugurated in the month of August.

"We are fortunate that we got FSSAI licence to sell the product. We will soon start procuring Neera from the collection centers. We are trying to open such cafes in every district," said Goud.