The gift also includes smaller packs (approximately 20-25 grams) of cashewnut, raisin, cardamom and two feet long sugarcane piece, benefitting 1.80 crore PDS card holders.
The gift is to enable people to cook "Pongal" (Sweet rice) on the day of the festival in keeping with the age old practice. "This would pave the way for poor and the ordinary people to celebrate Pongal festival well," he said.
The beneficiaries will be PDS 'Rice' card holders, Police family card holders, and families of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees residing in camps in the state, he said.
Pongal gift packs have been distributed by the state government in previous years as well.