By Admin 
The Stalin government of Tamil Nadu has delivered ‘Pongal gifts’ to 97 percent of eligible families on the Pongal festival this year. According to official information, out of total 2.22 crore eligible families, 2.15 crore ration card holders have got the benefit of the government scheme.
Cooperative Minister KR Periyakruppan said in a statement on Sunday (January 18) that out of Rs 6687.51 crore earmarked for cash distribution under the ‘Pongal Gift Hamper Scheme’, Rs 6453.54 crore has been distributed so far. Praising the implementation of the scheme, the Cooperation Minister said that the distribution of such a huge amount of cash was possible due to the planning of the officials and the dedicated efforts of the Public Distribution System (PDS) employees.
What is the plan?
Under the ‘Pongal Gift Scheme’ launched on January 8, Rs 3000 in cash along with one kg raw rice, sugar and one sugarcane is given. This benefit is extended to all ration cardholders, including families living in Sri Lankan Tamil resettlement camps.
A senior official of the Cooperative Department said that more than Rs 6500 crore of cash was transacted at ration shops in a week. Funds were transferred from Central Cooperative Banks to local societies under the supervision of District Collectors and Joint Registrars and delivered to Fair Price Shops with armed police protection.
Each ration shop typically serves 900-1100 cardholders, with transactions worth Rs 27-32 lakh at each shop and a daily business of Rs 6-7 lakh. However, about 7.6 lakh cardholders across the state have not yet received the ‘Pongal Package’. The main reason for this is the beneficiaries traveling out of their homes during the festival.
South Chennai has the highest number of outstanding people
Variations have also been seen in district-wise figures. The highest number of pending beneficiaries was recorded in South Chennai, where about 59,000 of the 10.59 lakh eligible cardholders are still yet to receive their gifts. Other districts where a large number of beneficiaries are still waiting include Madurai (44,000), Tirunelveli (32,000), and Theni (22,000).
In contrast, districts like Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Pudukkottai have achieved almost 98 per cent distribution, with less than 10 thousand cardholders in each district still waiting to avail the benefits of the scheme.
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