Chennai: On Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu government released the list of items for the Pongal gift hamper, which will be distributed to rice card holders in the state and residents of Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps. The hamper comprises one kilogram of rice, one kilogram of sugar, and one whole sugarcane.
To facilitate this, the state government has allocated ₹238 crore for the procurement and distribution of these items through ration shops.
As per the government order, raw rice will be acquired at a cost of ₹35.2, sugar at ₹40.6, and sugarcane at ₹33 each. This year’s approach focuses on the direct distribution of essential food items in anticipation of the festive season.