2.2cr rice card holders in TN to get Rs 1K each as Pongal gift
CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said all rice card holders in the state will be given Rs 1,000 each along with the Pongal gift hamper this year. The government had earlier announced that Pongal gift hampers would contain raw rice and sugar (one kg each) and one full sugarcane.
State and union government employees, those paying income tax, employees of public sector undertakings, and sugar card and white card holders will not be eligible for receiving Rs 1,000, the CM said. The state government has already allocated Rs 239 crore towards raw rice, sugar and sugarcane. There are 2.19 crore rice card holders in Tamil Nadu. A senior official said Rs 2,000 crore would be allocated to give Rs 1,000 cash to each cardholder.
In a statement, the CM said Rs 1,000 honorarium for women (1.15 crore beneficiaries) would be credited into their bank accounts on January 10 itself in view of Pongal. Usually, the honorarium is credited on 15th of every month. The CM also said free sarees and dhotis would be given to the needy along with the Pongal hamper. This has become possible as manufacturing of sarees and dhotis was completed on time, the CM said.
Govt should give Rs 2K to cardholders: Annamalai
After the announcement on Pongal gift hamper, political parties demanded that the state government also give cash assistance to ration card holders along with the gift. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said Rs 1,000 per ration card holders should be given for Pongal.
He also sought Rs 5,000 each for ration card holders in the eight districts affected by heavy rain and to fishermen families affected by the oil spill in the Ennore Estuary. PMK founder S Ramadoss also made this demand and said the government should hike the procurement price of sugarcane by Rs 50. BJP state president K Annamalai said Rs 2,000 should be given to PDS card holders.
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