Free dhotis, sarees for Pongal at many ration shops in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi yet to reach beneficiaries

Further, a large quantity of dhotis and sarees purchased for Pongal 2024 distribution was muddied during the December 2023 floods in Tirunelveli.
Staff at some ration shops of Tirunelveli openly displayed messages on blackboards stating that the clothes were unavailable
Staff at some ration shops of Tirunelveli openly displayed messages on blackboards stating that the clothes were unavailable(Photo | Express)
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TIRUNELVELI/DINDIGUL: A section of ration card holders in several parts of Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts alleged that they were not provided with the free dhotis and sarees promised for Pongal, whereas in Dindigul the PDS shops are left with just half stocks required for distribution.

While blackboards displaying messages indicating lack of stock have been put up at the ration shops in Tirunelveli's Udayarpatti and Thirugnanasambanthar Street, ration card holders urged the authorities concerned to prioritise the distribution.

"Officials should prioritise distributing dhotis and sarees to elderly and impoverished people instead of using the token system," said A Manohar, a ration card holder in Tirunelveli.

Another beneficiary claimed that she had not received clothes for the second consecutive year in Tirunelveli. "Last year, the ration shop staff promised I would get them after Pongal, but I never did," she said.

Besides, allegations are cropping up about the misuse of the clothes meant for free distribution in the previous years. A devotee, A Shanmugavel, highlighted spotting dhotis, meant for Pongal distribution, being sold at Kerala's Padmanabhaswamy Temple some days back. It may be noted that similar incidents have been reported since 2015.

Further, a large quantity of dhotis and sarees purchased for Pongal 2024 distribution was muddied during the December 2023 floods in Tirunelveli. These clothes were found stored at the Palayamkottai Tahsildar office last month.

Speaking to TNIE, CITU District Cooperative Workers Union Secretary (Dindigul) Sadiq Ali said, "We believe just 50% of the sarees and dhotis arrived at PDS shops through the civil supplies department in Dindigul." Condemning the poor state of distribution, several customers also staged a protest in Nilakottai taluk on Friday.

An official from the Civil Supplies Department (Dindigul) said, "We received only a few lakhs of sarees and dhotis from the state government, and we immediately distributed them among the PDS shops throughout Dindigul district. We expect more numbers within two days, and the whole process of distribution in the district will be completed in one week."

When contacted, M Murugesan, Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies (Tirunelveli region), told TNIE only 57% of the dhotis had reached shops in the district as of Sunday morning. "Distribution will continue until January 30, and we will ensure that all beneficiaries receive their allotment," he added.

Meanwhile, an official, on condition of anonymity, said that around 59% of the beneficiaries across Tamil Nadu received dhotis and sarees as of Sunday.

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