The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Government is all set to launch Neera stalls across Telangana.
On the 28th of October, K.T. Rama Rao, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister and the Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Minister, unveiled the State Government’s new Neera policy.
According to the Policy, the State Government would make modifications to the Telangana Excise (Regulation of Drawal and Sales of Neera) Rules, 1969. The new changes would include giving a separate licence to sell Neera for a tenure of 10 years. The drink would also be sold to industries set up by the Telangana Khadi Village Industries Board, as a supplement for non alcoholic beverages and byproducts. Neera would be sold as a soft drink in retail stores by the license holders, under the Neera policy.
According to sources, such Neera stalls would first be established near Tank Bund, Hyderabad. Only the eligible members of the Gouda or Ediga communities would be issued the licence to sell Neera by the TRS Government.
K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao, the Finance Minister of Telangana and V. Srinivas, the Excise Minister of Telangana, attended the event organised for the announcement.
Srinivas Goud addressed the media and said, “Neera has many medicinal values and can be consumed by all as it is a non alcoholic drink. It has been proved by many types of research that Neera is beneficial even for those who are suffering with ailments like diabetes. We, the members of Gouda community, will remain thankful to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for permitting sale of Neera across the State including Hyderabad city. All efforts will be made to promote it.”
After Maharashtra and Kerala, Telangana also permitted the sale of Neera, which was promised by the State Government which was in power before the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The decision of the State Government to permit the sale of Neera opened employment opportunities for the Gouda community.
Soon, Neera stalls would be launched across Telangana.
Stay tuned for further updates.
