Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday announced that the Government would disburse Rs.1,000 as a Pongal gift to each of the rice cardholders in the State covered under the Public Distribution System (PDS). He made the announcement after formally inaugurating Kallakurichi, the 34th district of Tamil Nadu carved out of Villupuram district.
Mr. Palaniswami said that last year the State has faced a widespread drought, and in a bid to mitigate the sufferings of farmers and other sections, the government has announced Rs.1,000 for each ration card. This year the State has witnessed copious rains, but farmers had spent the money available with them to buy agricultural implements. The Government wanted the people to enjoy the Tamil festival of Pongal and has decided to make the Pongal gift available for rice cardholders this year too, he said.
The government will also distribute Pongal gift packs to all cardholders. The gift hamper would contain 1 kg each of raw rice and sugar, raisins, cardamom and sugarcane, he said.
“We are implementing what we have announced and we will go by the welfare of the people,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami said that it was indeed a sorry spectacle that the DMK was objecting to the government’s stand to adopt indirect elections for the post of Mayor and municipal chairman in local bodies. The DMK had conducted indirect elections when it came to power in 2006. But now the same DMK was objecting to the government’s decision. This only showed that the DMK would justify what it does and disapprove what we do, he said.
Referring to DMK president M.K. Stalin, he said that the DMK leader had been indulging in misleading and false campaigns against the ruling AIADMK but we are measuring up to the expectations of the people, he added.
