Sasikala urges DMK govt to buy sugarcane of all sizes for Pongal hampers

Chennai, Jan 10 (IANS) AIADMK former interim general secretary and close aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, V.K. Sasikala has urged the Tamil Nadu government to buy Sugarcane of all sizes for the Pongal gift hampers.

She said that the state government had put the size of sugarcane to be bought in for Pongal gift hampers at 6 feet which was not feasible.

Sasikala said that the size of the sugarcane is based on the soil from where it was grown and that it was not in the hands of the farmers. The former AIADMK general secretary said that the government must not stick to the fixing of the size of sugarcane and buy sugarcane of all sizes from the farmers. It is to be noted that the state government was buying sugarcane from farmers at a rate of Rs 33 per piece.

In a statement on Tuesday, the former interim general secretary of the AIADMK said that the DMK government was stalling all the pro-people projects initiated by the previous AIADMK governments of MGR and J. Jayalalithaa.

She also charged that the DMK men were indulging in rowdyism and that this was not acceptable. The former aide of Jayalalithaa said that during the regime of Jayalalithaa, the government had taken stern action even if AIADMK men were involved in any malpractices.

Sasikala alleged that "if people don't pay 'hafta' or protection money to the DMK men, no activities, including construction is not allowed".

She called upon the state government to be more people-friendly and said that the government must take stringent action against anyone who was indulging in violence.