The Tamil Nadu government has announced a Rs 3,000 Pongal cash gift with festival hampers for rice ration cardholders, widening welfare outreach as the state prepares for Assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin distributes a Pongal gift hamper during the launch of the Rs 3,000 cash assistance scheme for ration cardholders in Chennai. (ANI video grab)
With Assembly elections four months away, the Tamil Nadu government has rolled out a fresh welfare push. Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday launched a Rs 3,000 Pongal cash gift for rice ration cardholders, expanding the traditional festival hamper and signalling a sharper political pitch.
The scheme was launched at a fair price shop in suburban Alandur, with cabinet colleagues present. Distribution begins immediately through ration shops, following token-based scheduling to manage crowds.
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Every rice ration card-holding family will receive Rs 3,000 along with the customary Pongal hamper. This includes raw rice, spices, jaggery, nuts and a full sugarcane for the four-day harvest festival celebrated from January 14 to 17. Free dhotis and sarees are also part of the package.
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The benefit covers all rice ration cardholders as well as families living in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps. As of December 21, the state had 22,291,710 such beneficiaries. The total cost to the exchequer is estimated at Rs 6,936 crore.
The cash component has varied over the years. There was no cash gift in 2022. It stood at Rs 1,000 in 2023 and 2024. During the AIADMK government in 2021, the amount was Rs 2,500.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami has often recalled that the DMK, then in Opposition, had demanded Rs 5,000. The present government says the Rs 3,000 figure was finalised after reviewing the state’s finances to help families celebrate Pongal “happily”.
The Pongal announcement follows a series of high-profile welfare decisions. Earlier this week, the government launched the first phase of free laptop distribution under Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil (World at Your Hands), handing out 10 lakh devices to college students. Another 10 lakh are planned in the next phase.
The laptops come from global brands such as Acer, Dell, and HP, with Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD storage, Windows 11, BOSS Linux, MS Office 365 and a long-term subscription to the AI-powered Perplexity Pro platform.
The government has also announced the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme, replacing the Contributory Pension Scheme for government employees and teachers, meeting a demand raised for over two decades.
With the Assembly session set to begin on January 20 and an interim budget expected by late February or early March, more welfare measures are likely as Tamil Nadu heads into election mode.
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