CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is likely to launch the distribution of new ration cards across Tamil Nadu on June 22, coinciding with his birthday, as the government prepares to roll out the first phase of fresh public distribution system cards to eligible beneficiaries, official sources said on Monday.
According to officials in the Food and Civil Supplies Department, around 46,000 new ration cards have already been printed and kept ready for distribution across the State. The department has received nearly 2.25 lakh applications seeking new ration cards since January this year.
“The distribution of new ration cards will commence in the next few days. In the first phase, 46,000 cards are ready and eligible beneficiaries will receive them in a phased manner,” a senior department official said.
Sources in the government said Vijay is expected to formally launch the scheme during a function on June 22 and distribute ration cards to select beneficiaries as part of his birthday engagements in Perambur, his Assembly constituency.
The move assumes political significance as Vijay will be celebrating his birthday for the first time after assuming office as Chief Minister, with the ruling TVK planning extensive celebrations and welfare initiatives across the State.
Party functionaries in Perambur have lined up a series of welfare programmes during the week leading up to June 22 and in the days thereafter. TVK cadres across Tamil Nadu are also preparing to mark the occasion on a large scale.
Government sources maintained that the ration card distribution exercise was part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to clear pending applications and expand access to welfare schemes linked to the public distribution system.