The government will consider imposing restrictions on jallikattu in Madurai in the wake of COVID-19 threat, Minister for Commercial Taxes P. Moorthi said on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating distribution of Pongal gift hampers here in the presence of Collector, S. Aneesh Sekhar, he said jallikattu events would be held but with restrictions.
Asked about the nature of restrictions, he said it would be decided based on the situation prevailing then.
The Minister said that 9.17 lakh ration cardholders and 718 families living in Sri Lankan Tamils camps would benefit by the distribution of Pongal gift hampers. Each bag containing 20 types of grocery items and condiments was worth ₹505.
Among them were raw rice, jaggery, green gram, chilli powder, corriander powder, wheat flour, ghee, salt cashew nuts, raisins. The total cost was ₹46.42 crore, according to Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, S. Gurumoorthy.
The distribution would continue even on holidays till Pongal. Those who failed to get the gift hampers before Pongal could get them after the festival. Any family member whose name was in the family card, could collect the gift hamper from the ration shop.
In view of SOPs in force, the gift hampers would be given in a staggered manner. In order to avoid crowding at the ration shops, they would be distributed only to 150 to 200 ration cardholders each day. Differently abled persons need not stand in the queue and they would be given priority in distribution of the gift hampers.
All the new 33,914 families that got their ration cards from July till date were eligible to get the Pongal gift hampers.
Sholavandan MLA, Venkatesan, was present.