Govt decides against toddy shop auctioning

Hyderabad, Jun 1 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government today decided against auctioning of toddy shops and announced that they would be given to Toddy Cooperative Societies at a nominal rent instead.

Reviewing the three-year progress in implementing various welfare and economic measures, taken up for the benefit of toddy tappers and their families in the state with officials concerned here, the Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said the government would continue with the reduced rentals for trees to help toddy tappers.

The Chief Minster in a release here said revenue was not at all a priority for the government as far as toddy tappers were concerned.

''The government is committed to the welfare of toddy tappers by pursuing tapper-friendly policies,'' he said.

Dr Reddy was informed that the existing 'Toddy Policy' has resulted in substantial growth of income to the toddy tappers in the last three years.

In order to expedite the settlement of payment of Ex-Gratia to the affected tappers, a comprehensive Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme was introduced, covering a total number of 2,57,797 eligible tappers.

The Government also enhanced the insurance coverage from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh in respect of death cases and from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 in respect of permanent disability.

The Government had also paid the insurance premium for all eligible tappers without charging anything from them, the release added.

UNI