Pongal gift pack to all families coming under PDS

Puducherry, Dec 21: Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Monday announced that a gift pack of essential commodities would be distributed to 3.37 lakh families coming under PDS in the Union Territory for the coming Pongal festival.

This would cost the Rs 9.4 crore and each pack would contain one kg of raw rice, one kg sugar and half a kg each of jaggery and toor dhal among other essential commodities.

The pack would be given from January 5 through ration shops, he told reporters. He was speaking after releasing the Puducherry Government Diary and Calendar 2016.

He said free mixies and grinders would be available to all families constituency wise and by January end all families would be covered under the scheme.

The CM said government had taken up works to repair roads which bore the brunt of the recent heavy rains in Puducherry and Karaikal regions.

He said the Centre had released the first instalment of Rs 50 crore to Puducherry, which was being used for relief and rehabilitation work.

A committee was going into the encroachments of canals carrying storm water and also other infrastructure and as soon as it's report was available the encroachments would be removed.

PTI