There was a lot of media coverage of the news that instead of being considered a tree, the coconut tree would be classified as a plant as it did not have branches. Many of the people with their own garden have a coconut tree and it can be extremelly profitable to have multiple coconut trees. Each coconut tree will yield 30-40 coconuts every month, and each coconut will cost Rs 15-20. So one coconut tree can yield a monthly income of Rs 6000 or more with relatively less maintenance required.
Realizing that agricultural income will be tax free, and money to be made from coconut, some politicians have tried to quell the controversy, saying that they themselves have planted 3000 coconut trees in their own property.