TN govt to give ₹1000 in Pongal gift scheme, Lankan Tamils too eligible

CHENNAI: The state government on Thursday announced Rs 1,000 cash plus one kg raw rice and sugar each as Pongal gift to all family card (rice) holders in the state. Chief Minister M K Stalin will launch the Pongal gift distribution in Chennai on January 2, 2023.

A decision to this effect was made after a discussion chaired by Stalin at the state secretariat on Thursday evening. A release issued by the state government said that as per the decision made at the meeting, all rice card holders and families living in the Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation Camps in the state would be distributed one kg raw rice and sugar plus Rs 1,000 each for the ensuing Pongal. As many as 2.19 crore family card holders would benefit from the Pongal gift scheme, which would cost Rs 2,356.67 crore to the state exchequer.

Chief Minister will launch the gift distribution at Chennai on January 2, 2023, while ministers will do the same in respective districts, a statement issued by the state government. The announcement has put to bed speculation surrounding the fate of Pongal gift distribution come festival season as the opposition was already accusing the ruling DMK of doing away with Pongal gift distribution. State cooperation minister K R Periyakaruppan, whose department implements the gift distribution through the PDS shops, on Wednesday lent credence to rumours by adding that the opposition had skipped Pongal gift distribution for four years during its tenure. It appears the cash distribution idea might have been motivated by the criticism suffered by the government last year after complaints poured in over the quality of a few products distributed in the Pongal gift pack. The government had blacklisted one of its vendors following the complaints of supply of substandard products.