Chennai, Jan 18 The Tamil Nadu government has announced that ration cardholders eligible for Pongal gift hampers can claim them until Saturday evening.
The government said that 1.7 crore beneficiaries have already availed themselves of the hampers. To ensure no one is left out, authorities have instructed ration shops to issue tokens to those who have not yet collected their packages.
The gift hampers are part of the government’s annual initiative to celebrate Pongal, one of Tamil Nadu’s most significant festivals, which was observed this year from January 14 over four days.
The hampers, distributed to family cardholders across the state, include free dhotis, sarees, and a monetary gift of Rs1,000.
Additionally, the package contains 21 essential items for the festival, such as rice, sugar, tamarind, and sugarcane, aimed at alleviating the financial burden on families.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the distribution of Pongal gift hampers on January 9 in Chennai. Nearly 2.2 crore family cardholders are expected to benefit from the initiative, with 1.7 crore beneficiaries already receiving their packages, representing 75 per cent of the total.
Families residing in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps have also been included in the distribution. To support this initiative, the state government allocated Rs249.76 crore for the gift hampers and Rs 600 crore for the distribution of free dhotis and sarees.
The sarees and dhotis, produced through state-run cooperative societies, have been distributed to ration cardholders and beneficiaries under the Old Age Pension Scheme.
For the 2025 Pongal festival, the Tamil Nadu government ordered the production of 1.77 crore dhotis and an equal number of sarees. This marked a significant increase from last year’s production of one crore dhotis and 1.24 crore sarees, with an additional 77 lakh dhotis and 53 lakh sarees produced this year.
The Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles, and Khadi Department allocated Rs 100 crore to procure yarn and pay wages to weavers involved in this project.
The production employed 63,000 powerlooms across the state, with cotton yarn used for the 2024-25 cycle. A switch to polyester yarn is planned for the 2025-26 cycle.
This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to supporting traditional industries and ensuring that families across Tamil Nadu can celebrate Pongal without financial strain.
--IANS
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