Chennai: Striking down the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to gift Rs 1000 as Pongal gift to each ration card holder in the state, the Madras High Court said the money should be given to only those below the poverty line.
“Why are you distributing Rs 1,000 as Pongal gift to all ration card holders irrespective of economic status? It is public money not party funds,” said the Court while hearing PIL against the government's decision.
The state government on January 2 announced a cash support of Rs 1,000 per family for the celebration of the harvest festival of Pongal falling on January 15.
An estimated 2.01 crore ration card holders were to benefit under the scheme, disbursement under which has been launched across the state by ministers and others.
On Tuesday, a petition was filed in the Madras High Court contending that the announcement was made without taking into account the state’s financial condition.
The petitioner claimed that the total loan liability of the state exceeded that of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and it was in dire need of funds, including to meet the rehabilitation measures in cyclone Gaja-hit areas.
Referring to an RTI information, Daniel Jesudass further claimed the current tax revenue of Tamil Nadu was Rs 1,12,616 crore, whereas the total liability was Rs 3,55,845 crore.
The petitioner noted that he had no objection to economically poor people being given the assistance, but was only opposing the decision to extend it to all ration card holders.
The additional burden to the treasury would eventually passed on to the people of the state, the petitioner said.
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