
Two lakh palm trees identified for Neera production in Bihar
The scheme has been implemented for the toddy season from April to July this year with the joint initiative of Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department and Jeevika, the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society.
An incentive amount will be given to 20,000 toddy tappers at the rate of ₹8 per litre of Neera produced directly to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Two lakh palm trees have been identified for Neera production in Bihar.
Leader of the Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav had earlier promised to make changes to the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 by keeping toddy out of its ambit. People engaged in toddy tapping belong to the Pasi (Dalit) community and it is their only source of income.
Failed venture
After total prohibition was announced in April 2016, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that Neera would be processed into a health drink and marketed across the State. However, the initiative failed to make a mark in the open market and several Neera kiosks were shut down.
Under the Prohibition Act, the toddy (Taadi) is banned and the government has made alternative arrangements for the people involved in its production and sale. The State government is continuously promoting Neera, the palm juice tapped fresh before sunrise. The same juice turns toddy after fermentation.
The highest number of toddy tappers and palm trees in the State have been identified in Nalanda, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts. After verification of the tapper through Jeevika, the license is issued by the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department.
To promote the production of Neera, palm tree owners will be given an additional incentive amount for a maximum of 10 trees at the rate of ₹3 per litre of Neera produced . In this, an incentive amount of ₹5,850 will be paid to the palm tree owner for the ownership and tapping of a maximum of ten trees at the rate of ₹585 per tree.
Under the scheme, on tapping 10 trees, the tappers will get ₹15,600 and the owner of 10 palm trees will get an incentive of ₹5,850 directly from the Jeevika group in their bank account through DBT.
A proportional incentive amount will be payable for less than 10 palm trees. At the same time, the tappers will also be given a separate amount of ₹30 per tree for marking the palm tree.
Most of the Neera sales centres are established in Nalanda district.
Explaining its benefits, a senior official of the Prohibition department on Thursday said, 'Neera is very beneficial for health and that's the reason the State government is promoting it. Minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, sodium and phosphorus are found in abundance in Neera. Also, the antioxidants present in it strengthen the body's immune system. It is a natural probiotic and helps in increasing hemoglobin.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Bihar Assembly Polls 2025: Tejashwi Yadav hints at poll boycott? – 'if everything is fixed, why hold elections?
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav suggested on July 23 that the Opposition in Bihar can even discuss boycotting the upcoming assembly elections, if required. 'We can discuss this too. We will see what people want.. when everything is fixed, then why need elections?' the former deputy chief minister of Bihar told a news agency. Bihar will go to polls later this year. The opposition RJD-Congress alliance of the INDIA bloc will face off against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance of the BJP, JD-U, and other parties in the upcoming polls. Yadav was perhaps referring to the controversial voter list revision exercise underway in poll-bound Bihar. The Opposition, including RJD and its INDIA bloc ally Congress, has dubbed the exercise 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the Election Commission under instructions from the ruling regime. The issue even reached the Parliament, where both houses were adjourned for the day today amid the Opposition's protest demanding a discussion on SIR during the ongoing Monsoon Session. In Bihar, too, the Monsoon Session of Assembly saw discussions on the poll panel's exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that the intensified revision's objective is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll so as to enable them to exercise their franchise, that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll, and that complete transparency is introduced in the process of adding or deleting electors in the electoral roll. The Supreme Court had on July 10 allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The top court, however, asked the poll panel to consider using the Aadhaar card, the Election card, and the ration card as valid documents for voter identification.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Uproarious scenes in council on third day
Patna: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the legislative council for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as the opposition members protested over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state. A majority of the opposition members, including former CM Rabri Devi, attended the House dressed in black clothes as a mark of protest. As the House assembled for the day, the opposition members rose from their seats and began shouting slogans like "vote ki chori bandh karo", "samvidhan ki hatya bandh karo" and "SIR wapas lo". Subsequently, they trooped into the well of the House while waving posters and raising slogans as CM Nitish Kumar and the other ministers sitting on the treasury benches appeared amused. As the chairman's repeated appeals to put the House in order fell flat, he adjourned the House till lunch. Before lunch, the House could barely function for 10 minutes. Similar scenes were witnessed outside the Council too, where the opposition members, led by Rabri, protested the SIR. "Our protests will continue until 'vote theft' with the help of the EC stops," senior RJD member and former minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui told reporters in the portico of the House.


NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
"Government Choosing Voters": Tejashwi Yadav On Bihar Voter List Revision
Patna: Political temperatures in Bihar are soaring as Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and the NDA government. In an exclusive interview with IANS on Wednesday from Patna, Mr Yadav accused the ruling alliance of "manipulating" the ongoing voter verification drive (SIR - Special Intensive Revision) to "eliminate" genuine voters and "subvert" democracy. He even hinted that the Opposition might consider boycotting the upcoming elections if the situation continues. Interview excerpts: IANS: There was chaos in the Bihar Assembly today. What triggered it? Tejashwi Yadav: A very serious issue was being discussed. Bihar is the cradle of democracy, and it's here that attempts are being made to kill it. NDA members don't want any debate on the SIR. We had even been granted permission to speak, but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar interrupted midway, so I sat down. When he spoke, it was clear he didn't even know the discussion was about SIR. He started speaking off-topic. Later, when the Speaker gave us time, NDA ministers kept interrupting us. They don't want the truth about SIR to come out. IANS: Do you believe the Bihar elections are being compromised? Tejashwi Yadav: It certainly seems that way. The Election Commission hasn't even held a press conference yet, despite the drive being underway. Earlier, voters chose the government; now, the government is choosing voters. We had no option but to go to court because our questions are being ignored. The EC is only trying to show inflated figures - saying 96 per cent or 98 per cent revision is done - just to respond in the Supreme Court. But the ground reality is very different. This drive is being carried out in a completely fraudulent manner. The Election Commission is acting on the BJP's directions. IANS: Are you considering a boycott of the Bihar elections? Tejashwi Yadav: That option is certainly on the table. We'll discuss it within the alliance and also take public opinion. If the BJP wants to contest elections based on a fake list, then just give them an extension and let them run the government. What's the point of holding elections if they're rigged? If the entire process is dishonest, then there's no meaning to democracy. IANS: Rahul Gandhi has alleged election manipulation in other states too. Do you agree? Tejashwi Yadav: Absolutely. In one case, 70 voters were registered under the address of a single BJP worker in Bihar. We have proof of such manipulations. Even the Supreme Court had slammed the authorities in the Chandigarh case. These things are happening everywhere. IANS: You are demanding a full discussion on SIR in the Monsoon Session. Why is this so important? Tejashwi Yadav: We are elected representatives, and if our voters' names are being removed, what purpose do we serve? If we can't protect our own voters, then what's the point of the Assembly? The first and foremost discussion must be on this issue. IANS: The Congress hasn't made any formal announcement yet on seat sharing or supporting you as the Chief Minister's face. What's the status? Tejashwi Yadav: Everything has been decided internally. We will soon make a joint announcement through a press conference. In the next few days, everything will be clear. IANS: The NDA keeps raising the issue of "jungle raj" under your party's past rule. How do you respond? Tejashwi Yadav: They have no real issues to talk about, no development roadmap. These are tired leaders with no achievements, only interested in saving their chairs. That's why they keep going back to "jungle raj." IANS: What's your take on Nitish Kumar's son Nishant possibly entering politics? Tejashwi Yadav: If he joins, that's fine, but it's a decision for their party to make. Whether Nishant wants to join or Nitish Kumar wants to bring him in - or if someone is stopping him - that only they can say. But let's be honest, this is Nitish Kumar's last election, and JD-U is on the verge of collapse. Only time will tell who can revive it.