Madurai bench asks for TN govt response on plea seeking Pongal gift amount in bank accounts

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 2 : Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday sought a response from the Tamil Nadu Government on a petition seeking an order to the government to pay the Pongal gift of Rs 1,000 to ration card holders' bank accounts (or by post) instead of cash.
The bench said that like the work of linking Aadhaar with electricity connection, this too can be done.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier announced to provide Rs 1,000 cash to ration card holders across the state to celebrate Thai Pongal in 2023.
Sundara Vimalanathan from Tanjore district had filed a petition in the Madurai bench of Madras High Court that the prize money should be paid into the bank account.
On the part of the petitioner, a request was made to take action to pay the Pongal gift amount into the bank account of the ration card holders.
Responding to this, the counsel for the Government of Tamil Nadu said that the benefits of the scheme may not be fully available to the people as the banks are likely to take the money due to the minimum balance.
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the judges said that like the work of linking Aadhaar with electricity connection, this too can be done.
Further, the judges questioned whether the prize money can be paid into the bank accounts of the ration card holders and adjourned the hearing to January 4, seeking a response from the Tamil Nadu government.
According to the decision taken by the government, it was decided to give one kg of sweet rice, one kg of sugar and Rs 1000 each to all rice family card holders and families living in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps.
"As many as 2.19 crore ration card holders will benefit, thereby incurring an expenditure of Rs 2,356.67 crore to the government," the official release had said.