The Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement held a demonstration in Coimbatore on Tuesday, calling for toddy to be officially recognized as a health drink and urging the government to lift the ban on its tapping and sale.
S. Nallasamy, the field coordinator of the movement, argued that categorizing toddy as an alcoholic beverage was unconstitutional. He invited political parties for a debate on the issue and even announced a ₹10 crore reward for any party that could prove toddy to be harmful.
According to Mr. Nallasamy, allowing the sale of toddy, neera, and ‘padhaneer’ would significantly boost the state’s economy by creating opportunities for value-added products. He also urged the government to release the report by the committee led by Justice K.P. Sivasubramanian, which was formed to study the issues faced by coconut and palm tree workers.
Additionally, he warned that the prices of coconut and tender coconut could rise sharply if both the state and central governments fail to address the damage caused to coconut crops by the rugose spiraling whitefly.
