Ahead of the harvest festival of Pongal on January 14, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today announced a gift pack that includes a kg of raw rice and sugar each and said it would be distributed before the fest through ration shops across the state.
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.
In an official release here, he said at a time when a drought situation was prevailing in the state, the move will enable people to celebrate the festival with joy.
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.
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