Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will inaugurate the Pongal gift scheme today evening from the Secretariat.
A Government Order in this regard was released this morning. The GO said that Rs 5604.84 crore has been alloted for the scheme.
The gift hamper will comprise of Rs 2,500 as cash, one kg rice, one kg sugar, one full sugarcane, 20 grams cashewnut, 20 grams raisins and five grams elaichi.
Palaniswami on Saturday announced that the free special Pongal package along with a cash incentive of Rs 2,500 will be distributed to all the ration card holders in the State from 4 January to enable them to celebrate the harvest festival in January next year.
The distribution of the cash and kit would commence on 4 January. The announcement was made at an event after he started his poll campaign in his native Edappadi constituency in Salem district.
Recalling the government’s recent announcement allowing the cardholders to switch the rice cards from sugar cards, he said this would benefit 2.6 crore rice cardholders in the State.
Palaniswami said that he had announced the gift as several people had suffered economic distress this year due to Covid and the cyclone in the Delta region.