Pongal prize money given to 97% beneficiaries: Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan
Tamil Nadu: Cooperative Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan stated that 97% of the Pongal prize money packages have been distributed to 21.5 million beneficiaries.
To celebrate this year’s Pongal festival in a special way, 22,291,710 Rice Family Card holders and families living in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps were given Pongal gift packages consisting of one kilogram of green rice, one kilogram of sugarcane, one whole sugarcane, waste, and one service, along with a cash prize of ₹3,000.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the scheme in Chennai on the 8th. On the first day, tokens were distributed to 200 family card holders across Tamil Nadu to receive the Pongal gift packages, and on the second day, tokens were distributed to 300 to 400 family card holders. Approximately 50,000 cooperative sector employees were deployed to distribute the Pongal packages.
Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan issued a statement regarding this:
People are happy because 22,291,710 rice card holders and families living in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps in Tamil Nadu have been given Pongal gift packages worth ₹3,000 per family, totaling ₹6,687.51 crore. This includes one kilogram of rice, one kilogram of sugarcane, a whole sugarcane worth ₹248.66 crore, and vests and sarees worth ₹7,604.29 crore. Consequently, 21.5 million (97 percent) beneficiaries have received the Pongal gift packages.
Sugarcane was purchased from farmers based on quality. The Cooperative Bank has accomplished with the Pongal gift packages what the National Bank could not. He said that it is praiseworthy that the officers and employees of the Cooperative Department have performed their duty day and night.
