No environmental tax on devotees visiting Medaram, Konda Surekha

Warangal: The state government is taking steps to extend more facilities to those thronging Asia’s biggest biennial tribal fair ‘Sammakka and Saralamma’ from February 21 to 24 at Medaram in Thadvai mandal of Mulugu district. Endowments minister Konda Surekha on Thursday announced that the Eturnagaram forest office has suspended collection of the environmental impact fees from devotees coming for the Medaram jatara from February 2 to 29.

In the past, the forest department used to collect a nominal fee from these devotees arriving by vehicles via the Pasra, Thadvai and Eturnagaram forest regions. The money collected through tax was spent for the protection of the wild animals, forest regions and for the removal of plastic that will be discharged during the Medaram Jatara across the forest areas. After several devotees pleaded for



exemption of the environmental tax especially during jatara time, endowment minister Konda Surekha responded positively and issued the orders to suspend the tax. This would be implemented immediately keeping in view of the heavy rush of devotees.

District forest officer Rahul Jhadav told that the Environment Impact Tax (EIT) collections during this jatara time would be suspended immediately. From the last Jatara time, the forest department had collected around `1.2 crore under EIT till date. Meanwhile, TSRTC would continue free bus services for the women devotees visiting Medaram. It would operate around 6,000 services from various bus depots across the state. The Warangal region RTC is already operating special bus services for every 45 minutes from Hanamkonda and Warangal bus depots.