Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Feb 16: State food and civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Haratalu Halappa urged the toddy-tappers to think about migrating to better, alternative professions. Even though toddy-tapping has been the profession of people, mostly the Billavas, since the times of their forefathers, this cannot be treated as a permanent employment on which future generations can rely on, he pointed out.
He was speaking after distributing cheques representing loans sanctioned to toddy-tappers at the interest rate of 6% per annum, at a function organized at Rotary Lakshmi Narasimha Auditorium here, under the aegis of the District Toddy-tappers Federation on Sunday February 15.
"Toddy-tappers must educate their children to enable them to find greener pastures in life. They can make use of government programmes like 'Madilu' in this direction. If the community is able to get rid of the dearth of leadership besides organizational weaknesses, and works apolitically, it can rise to unparrelled heights, he stressed.
MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary who presided over the function, hailed the state government headed by chief minister (CM) B S Yeddyurappa for responding to the representations made by toddy-tappers and acceding to three of their demands. He also requested minister Halappa to prevail upon the CM to earmark a sum of Rs 10 crore for the welfare of toddy tappers.
A memorandum was submitted to the minister on behalf of the Toddy-Tappers Federation. Kundapur municipal president K Mohandas Shenoy, Katpady Shankar Poojary, K Koraga Poojary, taluk panchayat member Janaki Billava, Saligram town panchayat president Raju Poojary and presidents of various Toddy-tappers Cooperative Societies were present.
Federation president P K Sadanand welcomed. Jagadish Kemmannu presented the programme. Raghavendra proposed vote of thanks.