642 toddy tappers given Tree For Tappers licences

Shadnagar: As many as 642 toddy tappers in Madgul mandal of Shandnagar constituency in Rangareddy district were given Tree For Tappers (TFT) licence on Sunday by Excise and Prohibition Minister Srinivas Goud.

Speaking on the occasion, the Excise Minister congratulated all those who received their TFT licence certificates and said that those who did not get the licence would get them in next 10 days.

"Toddy tapping is a very traditional employment of the Goud community. Toddy has medicinal values and its consumption cures many diseases," observed the Minister.

The Minister further said that in united Andhra Pradesh rule, the then government did not give much importance to toddy tappers community and did not implement any kind of welfare programmes for the Goud community living on toddy tapping. However, soon after the formation of Telangana, the State government had decided to give licences and identity cards to all the toddy tappers. Not just that the State government has decided to implement the insurance schemes for the toddy tappers community and anyone who dies by accidentally falling or permanently injured while tapping toddy, an insured sum of Rs 5 lakh would be given to the kin of the deceased families.

Not just toddy tappers community, the State government has come out with unique and innovative schemes for every community so that these communities take up traditional family employment and thereby improve their economic conditions and live a happy live in the rural areas, observed the Minister, while addressing the gathering of Toddy Tappers Association members.