Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday announced a gift hamper ahead of Pongal, the harvest festival for all family ration card holders in the state. The Pongal hamper will contain one kg raw rice, one kg sugar, two feet sugarcane pieces and Rs 100 in cash and will be distributed through the Public Distribution System.
The hamper has the core ingredients to celebrate the festival, including making Pongal – the rice dish eaten on the occasion.
The hamper will be distributed to Rs 1.91 crore families including Sri Lankan refugees living in camps across the state and to police personnel. It is expected to cost the state exchequer Rs 318 crore.
In a statement, Jayalalithaa said the gift hamper would help the poor and downtrodden to celebrate the Tamil’s traditional festival of Pongal comfortably.
Last week, the government had announced the free dhoti and saree scheme for Pongal. The government will distribute 1.68 crore dhotis and 1.67 crore sarees ahead of the festival which will be celebrated on January 15. The free dhoti and saree scheme for Pongal was first launched by Jaylalithaa’s mentor and predecessor Chief Minister MG Ramachandran in 1983.
The Pongal gift hamper distributed by the state government has been a tradition followed by both the Dravidian parties.
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