CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court, without passing any interim orders on a PIL plea to restrain distribution of Pongal gift throughout the State, ordered notice and posted the matter for further hearing on January 10.
In the petition, Alamelu of Tiruvannamalai, an independent candidate, submitted that Pongal gift was distributed only on January 7 last year. Now, it has been advanced to December to lure voters in the local body polls.
When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, senior counsel for State Election Commission told Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha the SEC had issued a notification that except Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi, Pongal gift scheme should not be implemented in the remaining 27 districts. He also produced a copy of the notification. The bench issued notice and adjourned the matter till January 10, after recording the submissions and directing the State government and SEC to file counters.