CHENNAI: With the 2026 Pongal festival approaching, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R Sakkarapani on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the preparedness for the distribution of Pongal gift hampers, procurement arrangements for samba paddy, and the implementation status of key announcements made by the department.

According to officials, the meeting focused on finalising the composition of the Pongal gift hamper to be distributed to ration card holders across the State. Tamil Nadu currently has about 2.26 crore ration cards, of which nearly 1.10 crore are rice cardholders.

Deliberations were held on the list of essential items to be included in the hamper, as well as on the possibility of providing a cash component as part of the festive package, sources told DT Next.

The Minister also reviewed district-wise preparedness for the procurement of Samba paddy and sought detailed inputs from officials on arrangements made to ensure timely purchase from farmers. Emphasis was laid on avoiding delays, streamlining procurement centres and ensuring that farmers receive payments without hardship.

In addition, the meeting took stock of the progress of various schemes announced by the Food and Consumer Protection department and examined whether the commitments made by the government were being implemented effectively on the ground. Officials were instructed to ensure that the public distribution system functions smoothly and that the supply of essential commodities reaches beneficiaries without disruption or inconvenience.

The government has indicated that further announcements on the Pongal gift package would be made after the completion of consultations and administrative formalities.

Senior officials, including Food and Consumer Protection department secretary Sathyabrata Sahoo, Commissioner Nandakumar and other senior officers, participated in the review meeting.