CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday issued an order allocating Rs 248.6 crore for the distribution of Pongal gift hampers to 2.23 crore ration card holders eligible to receive rice from fair price shops.
Each hamper will contain one kilogram of raw rice, one kilogram of sugar and one full-length sugarcane.
The order, issued by the Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, approved the procurement of the required quantity of raw rice at Rs 25 per kg, while the procurement price of sugar has been fixed at Rs 48.549 per kg. The approximate cost of one sugarcane has been pegged at Rs 38, inclusive of harvesting and transportation charges.
Accordingly, Rs 55.73 crore has been allocated for rice, Rs 108.22 crore for sugar and Rs 84.71 crore for the procurement of sugarcane.
Several political parties, including some allies of the ruling DMK government, had recently urged the government to include sugarcane in the Pongal gift hamper to support farmers engaged in sugarcane cultivation in the state.
In addition to the 2.23 crore ration card holders, Sri Lankan refugees residing in rehabilitation camps across Tamil Nadu will also be eligible to receive the Pongal gift hampers. According to the government sources, the distribution is expected to begin in about a week.
During the Pongal celebrations in 2025, the Tamil Nadu government had allocated Rs 249.78 crore for distributing similar gift hampers to over 2.2 crore ration card holders.