Tamil Nadu’s plan to distribute sponge cake to students in government and government-aided schools has prompted Kovilpatti peanut-candy manufacturers to ask the state to consider their geographically indicated traditional sweet instead.
The state government has decided to provide a sweet to students along with the midday nutritious meal programme during Children’s Day celebrations. For this purpose, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation recently issued a short-term tender notification to procure 61,84,566 pieces of sponge cake, according to a report by Dinamalar.
The proposed procurement has drawn a response from manufacturers and sellers of Kovilpatti peanut candy in Thoothukudi district. The producers’ association has asked the government to reconsider the decision and provide Kovilpatti peanut candy instead of cake in schools.
Kannan, secretary of the Kovilpatti Peanut Candy Manufacturers and Sellers Association, said the decision to provide sweets to children was welcome but that the announcement of cake had caused concern among local producers. He appealed to the government to review the plan and consider the peanut candy, which has received a geographical indication.
The request places a public procurement decision at the centre of two competing considerations: the immediate purchase of a standardised food item for a large school distribution programme and the possibility of using the programme to support a recognised regional product and its associated workforce. The source report does not state whether the tender has been awarded or whether the government has begun a formal review of the manufacturers’ request.
Kannan said that selecting Kovilpatti peanut candy would provide further recognition to the product while creating an opportunity for manufacturers and workers. He also said local producers now make several varieties, including drumstick-leaf peanut candy, native millet peanut candy and multi-grain peanut candy.
The proposed substitution would require the government to assess the procurement, supply and distribution requirements for the school programme. The available report does not provide details on the tender’s technical specifications, the per-piece price, delivery schedule, nutritional standards or the eligibility conditions for suppliers.
The scale of the proposed purchase—61,84,566 cake pieces—indicates that the decision involves a statewide supply chain rather than an isolated school-level celebration. Any change would therefore have to be reflected in the procurement process managed through the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation.
The immediate next step is the state government’s response to the manufacturers’ appeal and the status of the short-term tender for sponge cake. The source report does not confirm whether the government has accepted, rejected or otherwise acted on the request to distribute Kovilpatti peanut candy in place of cake.
