Overview
- Distribution will be inaugurated on January 8 in Chennai, with tokens issued in advance and a target to complete statewide by January 14.
- The cash comes in addition to a Pongal hamper of 1 kg rice, 1 kg sugar and a full-length sugarcane, plus dhotis and sarees dispatched to districts.
- The government pegs the total cost of the package at about Rs 6,936.17 crore for roughly 2.22–2.23 crore beneficiaries, including residents of Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps.
- Fair price shops have been instructed to handle around 400 beneficiaries per outlet per day to avoid overcrowding.
- The announcement follows the rollout of the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme, with the CPI urging inclusion of new ration card applicants in the cash benefit.