The Tamil Nadu state government, on Monday, has issued a Government Order (GO) sanctioning Rs 5,604.84 crore for distributing Pongal gift hampers to all rice ration cardholders in the state. The Pongal gift hamper contains Rs 2,500 cash, one kilogram each of rice and sugar, a full sugarcane (5 feet approximately), 20 grams of cashew, 20 grams of raising and 5 grams of cardamom.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced that Rs 2,500 would be given to all the ration card holders. But now state government, in the GO, had included the Sri Lankan refugees in the list as well. Along with 2.06 crore ration cards, 18,923 Sri Lankan refugee families and 3.75 lakh ration cards which were converted into rice cards from sugar cards will also get the Pongal gift hamper.
The state government had issued instructions to all the concerned cooperative societies to ensure that they possess enough stock of all the items listed in Pongal gift. Chief Minister is scheduled to commence the distribution of Pongal gift from Monday evening. Every year to celebrate the Pongal festival, the Tamil Nadu state government distributes Pongal Gift hamper to the ration card holders. This year due to two successive cyclones Nivar and Burevi that hit Tamil Nadu back to back and hold back people at home when they slightly revive back from Covid induced lockdown, Government increased the cash to Rs 2500 helping everyone.
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