What this scheme offers
The Pongal Gift is a yearly festival present from the Tamil Nadu government to families with a rice ration card, handed out at fair price shops ahead of Pongal in January. What it contains changes with each government's decision. It was ₹2,500 with a hamper in 2021, ₹1,000 with a hamper in 2023 and 2024, only the hamper in 2025, and in January 2026 ₹3,000 in cash plus 1 kg raw rice, 1 kg sugar and a full sugarcane for all 2.22 crore rice-card holders and Sri Lankan Tamil families in rehabilitation camps, at a cost of ₹6,936 crore. Tokens are first issued at the doorstep with a date and time, and by 18 January 2026 about 97% of families had collected the gift. The 2027 gift had not been announced by the new government as of October 2026.
Who is eligible
- A family holding a Tamil Nadu rice ration card; in January 2026 this covered all rice-card holders, plus families in Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps.
- Sugar-card holders were not clearly included in the January 2026 order; in earlier years government servants, income-tax payers and public-sector employees were excluded.
- Collection is at the fair price shop on the day and time printed on the token.
- The cash amount and hamper contents are fixed each year by the government — check the latest announcement.
Documents required
- Rice ration card
- The token issued at your doorstep, with the date and time
- Aadhaar or other ID, if the shop asks
- No application is needed
How to apply
- Watch for the government's Pongal gift announcement, usually in December.
- Wait for the token delivered to your home by ration-shop staff, which states the date and time to collect.
- Go to your fair price shop with the ration card and token on that day.
- Collect the cash and the hamper items and check the contents.
- If you miss the day, ask the shop about the extra collection days; complaints go to the district supply office.