CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday launched the distribution of Pongal gift hampers to 2.19 crore rice cardholders and residents of Sri Lankan Tamil Rehabilitation Camps. Stalin handed over one kg raw rice, one kg sugar, one stalk of sugarcane, dhoti and saree and Rs 1,000 cash to beneficiaries at a PDS shop in Sathya Nagar. On the first day, 51.89 lakh (23.66%) cardholders received Pongal gifts from PDS shops.
The government had allotted Rs 2429.05 crore for Pongal gifts for the 2.19 crore rice cardholders and Rs 487.92 crore for the free saree and dhoti for 1.6 crore ration cardholders, said an official statement. Following this, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the distribution at his Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency. To avoid overcrowding at PDS shops, tokens have been distributed.
The cooperation department in its order said collectors were the monitoring officers tasked with ensuring a smooth distribution of Pongal hampers in districts and deputy commissioners (south & north) of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department were responsible for the same in Chennai.
A Shanmuga Sundaram, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, said they were planning to complete the distribution by January 14. Hence, January 13 (Friday) would be a working day for PDS staff and a compensatory day off would be given on January 27.
V Rajaraman, Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, said quality control officials from Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and deputy registrars of the cooperation department should check the quality of the raw rice and sugar at warehouses. “Food items should be shifted from warehouses to PDS shops only after clearing pending stocks.”