Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said that the government has started making arrangements to give Pongal gifts instead of paying into the accounts of the beneficiaries.
Speaking to reporters after handing over rain relief to those with red ration cards in the assembly, the Chief Minister said the administration wanted to give sarees and dhotis as gifts rather than money. The Chief Minister added that steps are being taken to re-implement the scheme.
Relief from Rain
The government had begun the process of distributing Rs 5,000 each to Red Ration Cardholders as compensation for the damage caused by recent rain. In November, the government issued a Rs 5,000 compensation for anyone who was harmed by the rain. Rain relief was also approved by the administration, with each Yellow Ration Cardholder receiving Rs 4,500.
"In the next days, the funds for both sorts of ration card users will be deposited into the recipients' accounts. Except for government employees, around 3.27 lakh cardholders will benefit from the government's gesture. "The government would spend 156 crores," he stated.
Rs.1000 to Head of Family
On the other hand, it has been reported that the Tamil Nadu government is planning to give a monthly Pongal gift of Rs. 1,000 to the head of the family. However, no official announcements have been made about this. Chief Minister MK Stalin had ordered the distribution of the following 20 items to ration cardholders and families living in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps before the forthcoming Thai Pongal in 2022.
The date for the distribution of this Pongal gift has also been announced. The Pongal prize announced by the Government of Tamil Nadu will be given from January 3, 2022.
20 Pongal Gift Items
This package includes Pongal ingredients and these are Rice, Jaggery, Cashew, Raisin, Cardamom, Moong Daal, Ghee, Turmeric Powder, Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Mustard, Cumin, Pepper, Tamarind, Lentils, Semolina, Wheat, Black Gram, Salt & Sugarcane.
It was announced that a total of 20 items will be distributed to 2,15,48,060 households at a cost of Rs 1,088 crore.
