On the occasion of the Pongal festival, ration shops across Tamil Nadu will be distributing Pongal gift packages to all eligible ration card holders. Opposition leader and former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has called on the state government to include Rs 5,000 in cash with the package, saying it would help people celebrate the festival more meaningfully.
Every year, all ration card holders in Tamil Nadu are given a Pongal gift. In 2021, under the AIADMK government, Rs 2,500 in cash was distributed along with the Pongal gift package, the highest amount given so far. Earlier, during the DMK government, Rs 1,000 in cash was provided with the package. However, this year, instead of cash, only rice, sugar, and sugarcane were distributed for Pongal. The decision to exclude cash from the gift package attracted widespread criticism.
With the state assembly elections due next year, discussions have reportedly begun to compensate for the earlier omission of cash. Senior ministers are said to have urged officials to provide Rs 5,000 to all ration card holders. But due to the monthly women’s rights assistance scheme, the state government is facing financial constraints.
As a result, there is speculation that ration card holders may receive Rs 3,000 in cash along with the Pongal package, which is expected to include rice, sugar, and a whole sugarcane.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Monday, Edappadi Palaniswami reiterated his demand that all ration card holders be given Rs 5,000 along with the Pongal gift package. He said, “When the AIADMK was in power, Stalin made the same demand. Now, I am making that request.” When questioned about the increased financial burden on the state due to the 100-day employment scheme, EPS said the matter should be raised and discussed in Parliament. He also remarked that DMK MPs are not exerting sufficient pressure on the issue.
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