TN: 2.2 crore rice card holders will get Rs 1,000 as Pongal gift

Chennai: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said all rice card holders in the state will be given Rs 1,000 along with the Pongal gift hamper this year. The government had earlier announced that the Pongal gift hampers would contain raw rice and sugar (one kg each) and one whole sugarcane.

The CM said state and central government employees, income tax payers, employees of public sector undertakings and Chinese card and white card holders will not be eligible to receive Rs 1,000. The state government has already allocated Rs 239 crore for raw rice, sugar and sugarcane. There are 2.19 crore rice card holders in Tamil Nadu. A senior official said Rs 2,000 crore will be allocated to give Rs 1,000 in cash to each cardholder.

In a statement, the CM said that in view of Pongal, the honorarium of Rs 1,000 for women (1.15 crore beneficiaries) will be deposited in their bank accounts on January 10 itself. Usually, honorarium is deposited on the 15th of every month. The CM also said that along with the Pongal hamper, free sarees and dhoti will also be given to the needy. CM said that this has been possible due to the timely completion of the manufacturing of sarees and dhotis.

Government should give Rs 2K to cardholders: Annamalai

After the announcement on Pongal gift hamper, political parties demanded that the state government should also give cash assistance to ration card holders along with gifts. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said Rs 1,000 should be given to every ration card holder for Pongal.

He demanded Rs 5,000 each for ration card holders in the eight districts affected by heavy rains and families of fishermen affected by the oil spill in the Ennore estuary. PMK founder S Ramadoss also made this demand and said that the government should increase the purchase price of sugarcane by Rs 50. BJP state president K Annamalai said that Rs 2,000 should be given to PDS card holders.