TN govt’s Pongal gift: Over 2.2 cr families to get ₹3000, saree, dhoti from fair price shops

Chennai: As Tamil Nadu prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections, the DMK government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin has rolled out a Pongal special welfare scheme providing ₹3,000 in cash along with gift hampers to selected beneficiaries across the State. On Thursday, Stalin formally launched the statewide distribution drive in Chennai. Government sources confirmed that more than 2.2 crore ration card–holding households and eligible Sri Lankan Tamil families will benefit from the scheme through Fair Price (FP) shops.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the programme at a ration shop in Alandur, near Nazarathpet in Chennai, in the presence of Ministers and senior officials from the Cooperation Department, the Food and Civil Supplies Department, and the district administration. He personally handed over the cash and gift hamper to a few beneficiaries at a FP outlet in Alandur here.

Under the initiative, each beneficiary household will receive a Pongal gift hamper comprising one kilogram of raw rice, one kilogram of sugar, one full sugarcane, a dhoti and a saree, in addition to cash assistance of ₹3,000.

Beneficiaries can collect the cash and gift hampers from all ration shops according to the time slots assigned to them, said officials.

Authorities stated that comprehensive arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth and timely distribution throughout Tamil Nadu. Officials from the Cooperation Department and the Food Distribution and Consumer Protection Department have supervised the preparatory work.

They added that 100 per cent of the required rice and sugar for the Pongal gift hampers has already been supplied to ration shops across the State.

Referring to previous years’ distribution, officials noted that around 80 per cent of the dhotis and sarees issued during earlier Pongal festivals were utilised by beneficiaries, and that all ration shops have now accounted for their stock.

With regard to sugarcane, officials said that between 50 and 80 per cent of the required quantity has already reached individual ration shops.

The government intends to distribute fresh green sugarcane, with district administrations coordinating procurement and supply to ensure sufficient availability at every outlet.

Police personnel have been deployed at locations where multiple ration shops operate from the same premises to regulate crowds, IANS reported. Ration shop employees have been instructed to count and hand over the ₹3,000 cash assistance openly in the presence of beneficiaries. Staff members have also been directed not to take leave until the Pongal festival concludes.

Taking into account the requirements of residents in hilly regions who leave early for work, ration shops in such areas will begin operations at 6 am.

Officials said that all necessary steps have been taken to avoid inconvenience to the public during the distribution process. Token distribution for collecting the Pongal gifts was completed on Wednesday.

Beneficiaries who have not yet received tokens have been advised to approach their respective ration shops and collect the Pongal gift hampers and cash on the dates specified by officials. Pongal, known as the harvest festival, will be celebrated from January 14 to 17.