Puducherry Jan 14 (PTI) Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan on Wednesday celebrated the Pongal festival at Lok Niwas along with members of his family.
Chief Minister N Rangasamy, ministers, Speaker R Selvam, legislators and senior officials attended the celebrations, which featured various programmes marking the harvest festival.
The Lt Governor and his wife, Beena Kailashnathan, cooked rice in traditional mud pots as part of the Pongal ritual.
He also fed cows brought to Lok Niwas, underscoring the importance of protecting livestock.
Cultural programmes were organised as part of the festivities.
Meanwhile, the government announced a Pongal gift of Rs 3,000 for every family covered under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
The amount was credited directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, benefiting 3.47 lakh families, official sources said.
This was in addition to the free distribution of a Pongal commodity package worth Rs 750 through ration shops to all ration cardholders. Each package includes 4 kg of rice, 1 kg of naatu sakkarai, 1 kg of moong dal, one litre of sunflower oil, 300 grams of ghee and a bag.
The union territory also witnessed brisk sales of festival-related commodities, with sugarcane, turmeric saplings, rice and jaggery in high demand. PTI COR SSK
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