[1]Ooty: Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa inaugurated the special Pongal gift package scheme at the coop fair price shop at Kodanad, near here, at a function on Wednesday afternoon.
Inaugurating the scheme at the fair price shop run by Kotagiri coop stores, Ms Jayalalithaa said as Pongal was nearing, the government wanted to ensure that people celebrated the festival with joy.
“The seasonal rains have failed. So, the future of the crops being raised by the farmers in the delta districts has become a question mark. The Karnataka government has refused to release Cauvery river water which is due to the state of Tamil Nadu. Though we had been pleading with the Centre to gazette the Cauvery river water tribunal award, the Union government has not yet notified it in the gazette. Because of this, the rights and share of Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery water has not been determined yet,” she said.
However, the Tamil Nadu government has already announced relief assistance for the delta farmers. It has assured that it will compensate the loss to the farmers.
Though a committee has been formed under the finance minister to assess and announce the drought-hit areas and compensation, Pongal would arrive before its report is submitted. So, the government has announced the Pongal gift package for all the 1.84 crore family card-holders to celebrate the festival happily.
Under the scheme, all family card-holders would be given 1 kg rice, 1 kg sugar and `100 in cash. In total, each family card-holder would be given `160 worth special Pongal gift and free sarees and dhotis. All fair price shops across the state would remain open on January 13 (Sunday) to distribute the package, she informed.
While Ms Jayalalithaa distributed the packages to some beneficiaries on the stage, the ministers, including Mr O. Pannerselvam, distributed the packages to card-holders gathered at the venue.
Chief secretary Sheela Balakrishnan participated in the function.
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