BPL families in Puducherry to get cash payments in lieu of free garments for Pongal: Minister

The Puducherry government would transfer cash in the bank accounts of those families coming under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) ahead of Pongal festival, a minister said on Wednesday.

In a press release, Local Administration Minister C Jayakumar said the Department of Women and Child Development would credit cash in BPL family accounts on Thursday under the DBT system instead of distribution of free garments for the harvest festival.

He said Rs 500 would be credited for a single-member family and Rs 1,000 for more than two members. The cash would be transferred into the account of women members in the families.

He said around 1.30 lakh families would benefit through this system and the government would spend Rs 12.13 crore under the scheme.

As there were separate schemes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, weavers and differently-abled persons, the minister said the scheme announced now would be available for only the other sections of BPL families.