CHENNAI: A few hours before the state government declared that it would include sugarcane in the Pongal gift hamper, Judges CV Karthikeyan and Justice S Sounthar of Madras HC sat on holiday to decide on a petition filed by an activist to add sugarcane along with other Pongal gift items.

In an indication that the government would work out with the plea of the petitioner, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran requested the judges to adjourn the matter for Monday/January 2.

Accepting the submission of the AAG, the bench adjourned the matter to January 2.

Since the state has announced that one sugarcane will be given to each ration card along with one kilogram of raw rice, one kilogram of Sugar, and Rs.1000, the petition has turned infructuous, according to the legal experts.

The prayer of the petitioner named V Radhakrishnan, a resident of Kurinjipadi, Cuddalore district, was that he made a representation to the government on December 24 to include sugarcane along with other Pongal gift items.

According to him, in the past years, the state had procured sugarcane from farmers and distributed the same to the ration card holders.

"Therefore, thousands of farmers have cultivated sugarcane expecting the government would procure it, " the petitioner submitted.

He further added, "The sugarcane farmers are very much disappointed, and depressed because they cannot sell sugarcane for a better price and if they cannot sell it to the government they cannot celebrate the Pongal festival".

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