HC orders TN government to restrict Pongal cash gift to BPL ration card holders

The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered the Tamil Nadu government to give the Pongal cash gift of Rs 1,000 to only to those ration card holders who are below the poverty line.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation case, the court restrained the Tamil Nadu government from distributing Rs 1,000 as a cash gift to all the ration card holders regardless of financial status.

Pointing out to the government that it was public money and, not the party money, the court said it would not question if it was the latter.

The court said the total cash outgo will be about Rs 2,000 crore which could be used for relief works in cyclone Gaja-hit districts or infrastructure development and others.

According to the court, the Pongal cash gift can be given to people who are below the poverty line and not above that line.

On Jan 2, Governor Banwarilal Purohit while addressing the Assembly had said the state government would provide a cash gift of Rs 1,000 and a gift hamper to all ration card holders in the state to celebrate Pongal festival.

--IANS

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