Tamil Nadu - Dharmapuri   

Give us licence to tap padhaneer: palm tappers

Staff Reporter

Follow Andhra Pradesh Government's model, they say

Dharmapuri: Palm tappers in the district have requested the State Government to grant licence to tap palm juice (padhaneer) and toddy.

In a statement here on Saturday, the district president of Nadar Peravai, Chitravel, said a majority of palm tappers in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts were daily wage earners and dependent on the trade to sustain their livelihood.

Police permission

The palm tappers have obtained loans for extraction of palm juice and manufacture of palm products. They have a buy-back arrangement with the Palm Juice Manufacturing Societies for extracting palm juice and products manufacture through it.

Though licenses are issued by the societies for tapping palm juice, permission is not granted by the police. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has granted licenses to palm tappers to tap toddy. Similarly, the State Government should also initiate steps to issue license to palm tappers.

250 families

A total of 250 families in Palacode taluk alone are dependent on the trade to sustain their livelihood. Moreover tapping is mainly done during the season of January to April following which the tappers are unemployed. As a result, the Government must allow the genuine palm tappers to continue with their trade.

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