The Tamil Nadu government has announced a Rs. 3,000 cash gift for all family rice ration cardholders ahead of the Pongal festival.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday said the Rs. 3,000 cash assistance would be provided to all rice ration cardholders, including families residing in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps.
According to official sources, the State has about 2.23 crore rice ration cardholders and nearly 19,000 families living in rehabilitation camps.
Notably, about 3.8 lakh sugar-only and no-commodity ration cards will not be eligible for the cash component.
The Rs. 3,000 assistance is the highest cash support extended during the Pongal festival since its introduction in 2014, when Rs. 100 was provided.
Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, the then AIADMK government had distributed Rs. 2,500 per ration card.
This year, the State government has sanctioned Rs. 6,936.18 crore for the implementation of the Pongal gift scheme, ahead of the Assembly elections.
The cash assistance will be distributed physically through ration shop employees.
In addition to the cash gift, beneficiaries will receive one kilogram each of raw rice and sugar, along with a sugarcane. Furthermore, 1.76 crore ration cardholders will be provided free dhotis and sarees.
A senior official from the Food department said the government had scrutinised the linkage of ration cards with bank accounts two years ago, and found that a significant number were not linked.
“The Cooperation Department was asked to facilitate the opening of new bank accounts, but the process is yet to be completed,” the official said.
The official added that the question of direct benefit transfer would arise only after all ration cards are linked to active bank accounts.
Originally, the practice of providing a cash gift during Pongal was first introduced in 1990 by then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who announced Rs.100 for pensioners.
This was increased to Rs.150 in 1998.
The distribution of cash assistance along with groceries to ration cardholders ahead of Pongal was first implemented in January 2014 by then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who announced Rs 100 in cash along with one kilogram each of raw rice and sugar.
Since then, except in 2015, 2021 and 2025, cash assistance and gift hampers have been distributed for every Pongal festival.
In 2019, the cash component was raised from Rs.100 to Rs.1,000.
In 2021, Rs.. 2,500 was provided along with gifts, while in January 2022, gift hampers comprising 21 items were distributed. In 2023 and 2024, a cash gift of Rs.1,000 was given.
