Tamil Nadu govt should lift ban on toddy: Palm climbers

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.