Chennai: Amid complaints from the opposition and some sections of the public over the quality of goods given to people as part of the Tamilnadu government’s Pongal gift hamper scheme, Chief Minister M K Stalin today called for a high-level meet.
According to sources, Stalin will launch a detailed probe into the allegations to find out the truth and necessary action will be taken.
This comes a week after Stalin said Ministers, elected representatives and officials should ensure continuous monitoring and distribution of quality commodities to people under the harvest festival ‘Pongal’ hamper scheme.
Stalin said he inspected distribution of the gift bags at fair price shops to beneficiaries and the scheme has a huge public response, a grand welcome from people.
In view of ‘false and malicious propaganda by some people in respect of the commodities and its distribution’, the Chief Minister said Ministers, elected representatives and officials should ensure continuous monitoring and distribution of quality commodities to the beneficiaries.
Ahead of Pongal, the Chief Minister had announced that gift hampers would be distributed to help the people of Tamil Nadu, who had been affected by Covid-19 and floods.
‘The Pongal gift is being provided to over 2.15 crore rice ration cardholders at a total cost of Rs 1,297 crore despite the heavy financial crunch,’ Stalin said.
It may be recalled that the scheme was introduced by his father — DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi — in 2009 after the Tamilnadu Tamil New Year (Declaration) Bill, 2008 was passed in the Assembly to declare the first day of the Tamil month of Thai as ‘Tamil New Year Day’. It was one of the core ideologies of the DMK.