Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010751150300.htm

Other States - Puducherry

Pongal gift pack launch today

Staff Reporter

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Festival gift: Members of various self-help groups packing the ingredients for making sweet pongal in Puducherry. —

PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam will formally launch the distribution of free packets containing ingredients for preparing sweet pongal on Wednesday.

Mr. Vaithilingam, in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues, will distribute the gift packets to residents of Kodapakkam.

The pack will contain 500 gm each of raw rice, jaggery, 100 gm of green gram and 150 gm of cashewnut, raisins and cardamom. The free distribution of packs to 3.3 lakh card-holders would incur an expenditure of Rs 1.7 crore.

Employees of the Puducherry Agro Products, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Limited are engaged in packing the items at various centres. Officials in the Corporation said that the distribution of the packs through Public Distribution Outlets would start in a day or two.