Free rice, dal and Rs 1000 for ration card holders, Tamil Nadu CM declares relief package of Rs 3,280 crore

To avoid crowding at ration shops, the relief is to be provided by a token system on an allotted day and time. Those who may want to give up this relief, may register in the concerned website or app.

Published: 24th March 2020 11:37 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: All ration card holders are entitled to Rs 1000 as relief and free ration - rice, dal, sugar and cooking oil for the month of April, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced in the assembly on Tuesday.

To avoid crowding at ration shops, the relief is to be provided by a token system on an allotted day and time. Those who may want to give up this relief, may register in the concerned website or app.

Those who may have failed to get their rations for the month of March may get them with the rations for April, the Minister said.

Daily wagers, agricultural labourers, auto and taxi drivers, construction workers, street vendors, senior citizens and other organised sectors stand to be the most affected as section 144 is to be imposed in the State, the Minister said, adding that a total relief package of Rs 3280 crores has been set aside.

Construction workers and auto drivers will be given a special relief of Rs 1000 each along with 15 kilograms of rice, 1 kilogram of dal and one kilogram of cooking oil. 

Migrant construction workers those in other unorganised sectors will be identified by district collectors and labour department and will be entitled to 15 kilograms of rice, 1 kilo of dal and 1 kilogram of cooking oil. 

Amma Unavagam will continue serving. For serving food for economically backward sections, district collectors have been asked to set up community kitchens. 

Food for senior citizens who had been having food at Anganwadi centres, will be delivered to their homes.

Registered street vendors are to get additional relief of Rs 1000. MGNREGS workers who had worked in the month of March, would be given a two-day salary bonus.