Chennai: In a major pre-festival announcement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has approved a cash gift of ₹3,000 for all rice ration cardholders as part of the annual Pongal welfare scheme. This marks the return of the cash component after a one-year hiatus and represents the highest cash amount offered under the scheme in recent years.
The comprehensive Pongal package, set to benefit over 2.22 crore ration cardholder families and residents of Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camps, also includes the traditional hamper—containing 1 kg of raw rice, 1 kg of sugar, and a whole sugarcane—along with free dhotis and sarees.
Pongal Gift 2026: Distribution to Begin with Door-to-Door Token System
To ensure orderly distribution and avoid overcrowding at fair price shops, the Civil Supplies Department will initiate a door-to-door token distribution system starting today. Beneficiaries can collect their gifts and cash from designated ration shops by presenting these tokens. Chief Minister Stalin will formally launch the distribution on January 8.
Reversal from Last Year’s Policy Amid Election Expectations
The announcement ends weeks of public speculation. Last year (2025), the government provided only the physical hamper without cash, a departure from the ₹1,000 cash gift offered in 2022, 2023, and 2024 under the DMK government, and the ₹2,500 given during the AIADMK regime in 2021.
A recent government order allocating ₹248 crore only for hamper items had fuelled doubts about the cash component’s revival. However, with the state assembly elections scheduled for later this year, public expectation for a cash benefit was high. Following consultations with ministers and senior officials, the government decided to not only restore the cash gift but significantly increase the amount to ₹3,000.
A Boost for Festival Celebrations
The combined value of the cash and in-kind gifts is expected to provide substantial support to households during the harvest festival. The move is widely seen as a significant welfare measure ahead of the election season, aiming to ensure that families can celebrate Pongal “without any difficulties,” as stated in the official release.