CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Wednesday appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to enhance the Pongal gift hamper distributed through fair price shops by including one kg of jaggery and ensuring that sugarcane is procured directly from farmers.

He said Pongal kits containing rice, sugar and sugarcane have been provided every year to family card holders to help them celebrate the harvest festival.

With expectations rising among the public and farmers this year, he urged the government to address their demands while announcing the scheme.

Direct procurement of cane from cultivators would support farmers and remove intermediaries, he added.