Litigant approached HC to add sugarcane to the Pongal gift hamper

CHENNAI: A Cuddalore-based litigant approached the Madras High Court to procure sugarcane from the farmers and add that to the Tamil Nadu government's Pongal gift hamper products.

V Radhakrishnan, a resident of Kurinjippadi in Cuddalore Taluk has filed this petition for a direction to the state to procure the sugarcane from farmers as they cultivated sugar cane in 60 lakh acres expecting the state would procure them as it did in the past.

According to the petitioner, the state government had issued a publication that it would give one kg of raw rice, sugar, and Rs.1000 as a Pongal gift hamper to the ration holders.

"Even as several farmers have cultivated sugar cane by investing their labor, money and time to cultivate sugarcanes with a fond hope that the government would purchase/procure it directly from them and distribute the same to the ration card holders, as per their usual practice, the government did not take a call to procure the sugar cane, " the petitioner said in his affidavit.

The petitioner submitted that because of the above announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Government, the sugarcane farmers are very much disappointed, and depressed because they cannot sell sugarcane for a better price and if they cannot sell it to the government they cannot celebrate Pongal festival with joy and satisfaction.