KARIMNAGAR: Excise minister T. Padma Rao Goud said the department would plant 5 crore palm saplings across the state in the coming five years. He was addressing a gathering after participating in a mega plantation drive in Jagtial revenue division on Saturday. The employees of the excise department sowed a record 2,93,515 saplings of palm and date trees in different parts of the division, as part of the second phase of Telanganaku Haritha Haram.
He was accompanied by ZP chairperson Tula Uma, assistant commissioner of excise department M. Shankaraiah and Jagtial excise superintendent Vijay. Mr Padma Rao said a total of 55 lakh palm trees would be planted this year, 2 crore in 2017 and 2.55 crore in 2018 to provide livelihood to toddy tappers and to maintain ecological balance.The department is raising saplings in its own nurseries, he added. Expressing concern over the infested palm trees in Jagtial division, the minister said he would send a team of scientists to see into it.
He said a few 2BHK apartments would be allocated to toddy tappers. He urged the members of toddy cooperative societies to plant saplings of palm trees in the land given to them. Ms. Uma also stressed on the need to save the saplings from withering. Mr. Shankaraiah appealed to toddy tappers to take steps to protect the seedlings planted under the plantation drive. He said the district unit of prohibition and excise department has already planted 5.95 lakh saplings, against its target of 10 lakh. On Saturday alone , the staff of the department could sow 2.93 lakh saplings, he added.
