Chennai, Jan 8 : As part of the celebrations for Pongal, Tamil Naduâ??s harvest festival, the state government is launching on Thursday an expansive welfare initiative providing a Pongal gift hamper along with Rs 3,000 in cash to more than 2.22 crore ration card holders, including eligible Sri Lankan Tamil families residing in the state.

The scheme will be formally inaugurated by M.K. Stalin at a ration shop in the Alandur area of Nazarethpettai in Chennai. Following the launch, beneficiaries can begin collecting the Pongal gift packages from ration shops across Tamil Nadu as per the time slots allotted to them.

Each Pongal gift hamper includes one kilogram of raw rice, one kilogram of sugar, and one whole sugarcane, in addition to Rs 3,000 in cash assistance.

The government has directed that distribution should commence immediately and continue smoothly across all ration shops, ensuring that the public does not face any inconvenience.

Officials from the Cooperation Department and the Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department said that all preparatory arrangements have been completed. Rice and sugar meant for the Pongal gift packages have been fully dispatched to ration shops across the state. The distribution process is being monitored closely to ensure transparency and efficiency.

With regard to sugarcane distribution, officials stated that between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of the required quantity has already reached individual ration shops. The remaining sugarcane will be supplied through district administrations in the coming days.

Special emphasis is being placed on distributing fresh sugarcane, and arrangements are in place to ensure timely delivery wherever shortages arise.

Officials also addressed the issue of unused stocks from previous years. They noted that while only about 80 per cent of the dhotis and sarees distributed during earlier Pongal festivals were actually used by beneficiaries, 100 per cent of these items were taken by the ration shops. The remaining stock is currently stored in government godowns and will be supplied immediately to ration shops wherever there is demand.

To handle large crowds during distribution, police security has been arranged in areas where multiple ration shops function in close proximity. Ration shop staff have been instructed not to take leave until the completion of the Pongal festival to ensure uninterrupted service.

Special arrangements have been made for hill regions as well. Since residents in these areas leave early for work, ration shops in hilly localities will open at 6 a.m. to facilitate easy access for beneficiaries. The token distribution process, which determines the date and time for collecting the Pongal gifts, was completed on Wednesday. Those who have not yet received tokens have been advised to approach their respective ration shops and collect the Pongal gift packages on the dates informed by officials.

/IANS