The Tamil Nadu government, on Monday, issued a Government Order (GO) sanctioning Rs 5,604.84 crore for distributing Pongal gift hampers to all ration card holders in the state.

The Pongal gift hamper will have Rs 2,500 cash, one kilogram each of rice and sugar, a full sugarcane (5 feet approximately), 20 grams of cashew, 20 grams of raising and 5 grams of cardamom.

Recently, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, had announced that Rs 2,500 would be given to all the ration card holders. State government, in the GO, had included the Sri Lankan refugees in the list as well. Along with 2.06 crore ration cards, 18,923 Sri Lankan refugee families and 3.75 lakh ration cards which were converted into rice cards from sugar cards will also get the Pongal gift hamper.

State government had issued instructions to all the concerned cooperative societies to make sure that they posses enough stock of all the items listed in Pongal gift. Chief Minister is scheduled to commence the distribution of Pongal gift from Monday evening.