MDMK Support Toddy Tapping
The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has announced that it would extend support to the toddy tapping agitation announced by farmers. The party’s presidium chairman M. Kannappan, MLA, said that the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sold through liquor shops run by the State-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) had 30 per cent alcohol. Whereas the toddy tapped from coconut trees and palm trees had only 4 per cent alcohol.
Mr.Kannappan said that the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment for a total prohibition had been rejected by the Union Government. Mr.Kannappan said that poor farmers and farm labourers were not successful in getting the ban on toddy tapping removed since they were not as influential as liquor manufacturers. In Tamil Nadu seven crore coconut trees were cultivated in about 10 lakh acres. But farmers were not getting adequate price for coconut because of various reasons.
