Sugarcane required for distribution as part of the Pongal gift hampers has been sourced locally, according to Collector P. Gayathri Krishnan.
Disclosing this during the Pongal gift hamper distribution to 3,86,292 families in Tiruvarur district on Tuesday, the Collector said that all rice cardholders would receive the hamper from the Fair Price Shops (FPS) to which their card have been attached.
For distribution of the hampers, a total of 19,314.60 kilograms of cashews, a similar quantity of dry grapes, 3,862.92 kilograms of cardamom have also been procured and distributed along with rice, jaggery, sugarcane and other items.
A total of 3,86,292 cloth bags have also been procured for packing the gift hampers except for the sugarcane and distributing the same to family cards attached to 579 full-time FPS and 156 part-time FPS in the district for nine hours in a day from 9 a.m. with an hour of lunch break from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi launched the gift hamper distribution in Thanjavur district on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the School Education Minister said that it has been proposed to distribute the hampers to 200 family cardholders per day in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Apart from the 6,93,481 rice family cardholders attached with 1,183 FPS, a total of 70,196 family cardholders who were drawing their ration through the 70 retail units run by Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores would also receive the Pongal gift hampers, he added.
