As the Tamil Nadu people are preparing to celebrate the Pongal festivals with the gift package from the state government, the senior Tamil Nadu minister has now invited controversy over his statement by claiming that the government would get back the Pongal package money through TASMAC. His statement, which has come ahead of the assembly polls, has drawn massive flak over the government's intention of filling the state coffers. 

In what was seen as his bid to cover the voters, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniwami had recently unveiled a big Pongal gift. The Chief Minister has on December 19 announced that each rice ration cardholders would get Rs 2,500 as the Pongal gift and the gift package will include one kilogram of rice, one kilogram of sugar, cashew, cardamom, and dry grapes along with one complete piece of sugarcane. 

The Chief Minister stated that the Pongal gift package will be distributed across the state from January 4 at all public distribution shops. The Chief Minister further added that the gift package will be given to 2.6 crore rice ration cardholders in the state. While the government had only given a maximum of Rs 1000 as part of the Pongal gift package to the ration cardholders in previous years, the announcement of providing Rs 2,500 for each rice ration cardholders has come in the wake of the election year.

While making the announcement, The Chief Minister further said, "The festival of Tamil people, Pongal is going to arrive and as the COVID-19 pandemic and cyclone had adversely affected the people, the Tamil Nadu government will facilitate Pongal celebration with all the white ration cardholders receiving Rs 2,500". As per the announcement, the public distribution shops in the state had started distributing the prize package to the ration card holders from Monday. 

Amid such developments, senior Tamil Nadu Minister Dindigul Srinivasan, who is known for controversies, had for yet another time stirred controversy through his shocking statement. According to reports, Srinivasan was addressing the event of inaugurating the Amma Mini Clinic in Dindigul on Sunday during which one person who was among the audience had alleged that he hasn't received a coupon for the Pongal gift package for which the minister said that the fund which had gone from the government as the Pongal gift would return back to the government through TASMAC liquor shops.    

The shocking statement from the minister had stirred controversy as it has come a day ahead of the distribution of the gift package and months ahead of the assembly polls as the opposition slammed the minister and the government with its intention of filling the state coffers. Earlier, when the Chief Minister had announced the gift package, the DMK had condemned the Chief Minister for using the state's fund for his political benefits.