Chennai: With just a week for the Pongal festival, the State has commenced the process of readying the gift pack announced by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for the family ration cardholders and the distribution is likely to be launched on Jan. 9.
A total of 1.8 crore beneficiaries viz. the PDS ‘Rice’ card holders, Police family card holders, and families of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees residing in camps in the state would benefit by the gesture. The Pongal gift packs have been distributed by state in previous years too.
In the neighbouring Tiruvallur district, as in other parts of the state, the workers started preparing the gift pack that includes a kg of raw rice and sugar each besides smaller packs (about 20-25 grams) of cashewnut, raisin, cardamom and two feet long sugarcane piece. “This would pave the way for poor and the ordinary people to celebrate Pongal festival well,” Mr Panneerselvam said.
