KRISHNAGIRI: Palm climbers on Tuesday filed a petition with the Krishnagiri district collector’s office demanding that the Tamil Nadu govt lift the ban on toddy. Toddy has remained banned in the state since 1987.
Palm climbers under the banner Salem Zone Coconut Palm Tree Climbers Welfare Association held a sit-in protest in front of the district collectorate demanding that no restrictions be placed on toddy tapping.
They demanded that the state govt should come forward to protect the livelihood of palm climbers by removing toddy from the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act and classifying it as a food item following the guidelines of the National Food Security Act.
The workers said the thousands of families lost their livelihood as police continued to threaten them not to extract palm neera and toddy from palms.
They demanded that cases not be registered against palm climbers who used palm neera and toddy for food. They said police should not call palm climbers to stations to harass them. Their belongings and equipment should not be confiscated, they stated.
V Senthil Kumaran is currently working as the Special Corresponde...
Read MoreV Senthil Kumaran is currently working as the Special Correspondent for The Times of India, focusing on the districts of Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Erode.
As the sole representative for these five districts in Western Tamil Nadu, Senthil Kumaran covers a wide range of topics, including crime, education, and civic issues. He has exposed numerous scams and held several government officials accountable for their actions.
In addition to his journalism work, he holds an MBA in Human Resources, an M.Sc. in Psychotherapy, and an LLB, along with a BA in English Literature.
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