Neera Cafe on Necklace Road opened

Neera Cafe, the State-owned outlet that will serve the much sought-after nonalcoholic extract from palm trees, was inaugurated by Prohibition and Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud and Cinematography Minister T Srinivas Yadav here on Wednesday.

Built at a cost of Rs.13 crore as part of the State initiative to promote the heady-brew tapped and dished out by traditional toddy tappers from the Goud community, the Neera café has turned out to be the new attraction on Necklace Road in the vicinity of the iconic Budha Statue.

All roads are expected to lead to the café all through the summer as it is designed to accommodate 300 to 500 people in its stalls which are surrounded by palm trees with earthen pots hanging for Neera collection, thus adding an ethnic feel to outlet. Endorsed by the Excise department, which is planning to open a few more such centres soon, the drink is considered to be highly



nutritious.

Speaking on the occasion, the Excise Minister thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for introducing a number of welfare measures for uplifting the toddy tappers community. Over 4.20 crore palm saplings have been planted in the State as part of the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram initiative. Felling of palm trees would be dealt with sternly, he said.

The ex gratia being paid for toddy tappers families in case of the accidental death of their breadwinners was increased from Rs.2 lakh to Rs.5 lakh. Also, the financial assistance of Rs.50,000 previously given to those with permanent disabilities has been increased to Rs.5 lakh, the Minister recalled, adding that the Chief Minister had also announced a special scheme extending an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh to toddy tappers and promised to implement it on lines of Rythu Bima.