BENGALURU: The Department of Municipal Administration recently issued a circular to all the deputy commissioners in the state asking them to direct all malls, theatres and multiplexes to allow sale of tender coconut.
Minister for Municipal Administration Eshwar Khandre said this is to encourage coconut growers. “We can’t ban soft drinks and snacks, but can urge mall owners to sell tender coconut in their premises,” he said.
Tender coconuts are usually sold on the roadside, where the sellers can store heaps of nutshells. “The same cannot be done in the premises of a mall. There is a proposal to sell tender coconut water in packaged form, be it bottles, tetra packs or even cans. We need to check the feasibility of this,” he said.
A source from DMA said that the rate for tender coconuts has not been fixed yet.
“The government might call for agencies for packaging and storing tender coconut drinks. The coconuts will be brought from farmers and packaging will be done by agencies. We will talk to the coconut growers too, maybe after the byelection,” the source said.
In the recently concluded Assembly sessions, BJP MLC Pranesh had suggested banning the sale of soft drinks in the state just like Tamil Nadu did. To this Khandre said, “If we want to implement such a ban, we need to bring amendments in a few acts. We do not have any such a proposal before us.”
A senior staff member from one of the leading multiplexes in the city was however skeptical about the sale. “Tender coconuts sold on the roadsides are usually available for `20. If the same is sold in malls or multiplexes, the prices will definitely shoot up. People might not prefer this. At present, tender coconut drinks are available in tetra packs at super markets and the market value is not that good,’’ he said.