Cash gift extended to ‘sugar only’ card holders

The modification comes in the wake of an interim order passed on December 9, preventing the state from distributing cash gift to non-priority household only for Sugar (NPHH-S) and no commodity (NC) category of cardholders.

The division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam, on accounting for the state’s submission that the families in NPHH-S category also belonged to the economically weaker background, allowed the modification in respect of NPHH-S category card holders alone.

However, the bench on noting that government welfare schemes are meant for the needy, wondered as to how can a scheme that distributes cash free to all be acceptable.

Moreover, when the Centre was resorting to depositing cash incentives directly in to the beneficiaries’ bank account, why had the Tamil Nadu government failed to adopt the same practice and instead had forced the public to queue up before ration shops for hours in a stretch to receive the cash, the bench led by Justice Sathyanarayanan questioned.

Also, while seeking to know as to who created the situation that the public would not vote if they fail to receive Rs 1,000 as Pongal gift, the bench expressed their strong resentment over the continuation of such freebies and sought to know as to when it would end.

Also, citing the rampant instances of free rice being offered at ration shops in Tamil Nadu being smuggled to neighbouring states, the bench said even during the Chief Minister ship of Anna, rice was offered at Rs1 per kg and the government should consider ending such schemes offering freebies.

Earlier, Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that most of the families in NPHH-S category belong to economically weaker background and as many as 4.12 lakh NPHH-S card holders have received the cash support of Rs 1,000 out of the 10.11 lakh card holders till January 9.