Chennai, Jan 17 (AHN) The distribution of Pongal gift hampers to ration card holders in Tamil Nadu has been temporarily delayed for a limited section of beneficiaries, after many families travelled to their native places to celebrate the harvest festival, officials said on Saturday.

The state government has now decided to resume distribution at ration shops once these beneficiaries return, with a formal announcement expected in the coming days.

According to officials from the Civil Supplies Department, more than 90 per cent of eligible beneficiaries have already received the Pongal gift hampers under the flagship festive welfare scheme of the Tamil Nadu government. The remaining beneficiaries are largely those who were not present in their place of residence during the distribution period due to festival travel.

Each Pongal gift hamper includes Rs 3,000 in cash assistance, one kilogram of brown rice, one kilogram of sugar, and a sugarcane.

Officials said the remaining hampers, along with the cash component, are likely to be distributed by the end of this month.

The Pongal gift scheme was formally launched on January 8 by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin at Alandur, a suburb of Chennai.

The initiative is aimed at providing financial relief and essential food items to rice ration card holders during the festival season. The scheme is expected to benefit around 2.22 crore ration card holders across the state, making it one of the largest festive welfare initiatives undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government in recent years.

Following the launch, ration shops were instructed to issue tokens to approximately 300 beneficiaries per shop per day to ensure smooth distribution and avoid overcrowding. To improve coverage and accommodate more beneficiaries, the government extended the distribution period up to Bhogi day on January 14. Despite this extension, a small percentage of beneficiaries were unable to collect the hampers due to their absence from their registered locations.

Officials stressed that no eligible beneficiary would be denied the Pongal gift hamper and that special arrangements would be made to complete distribution once people return from their native places. The government is expected to issue detailed guidelines shortly to ensure the remaining beneficiaries receive their entitlements without difficulty.