Mumbai, Oct 5 (IANS): The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced an advance Diwali gift of subsidised food provisions to nearly 1.70 crore (around 7 crore persons) families covered under the public distribution system.

Accordingly, each ration card-holder will be entitled to one kg sugar, one kg palm oil, chana dal and rava at Rs 100 only, giving a major relief to the masses reeling under inflation, in the festival season.

The bonanza comes a day ahead of the 'two Shiv Sena Dassehra rallies' -- one to be addressed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and another by Sena President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, with both going all-out to woo the crowds at their venues in Bandra Kurla Complex and Shivaji Park, respectively, scheduled on Wednesday.

Announcing the cabinet's decisions, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that these food commodities shall be available for a month vide an e-pass system and will entail a burden of around Rs 489 crore on the state exchequer.

He also urged the Food & Civil Supplies Minister Ravindra Chavan -- belonging to the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party -- to ensure that all these commodities are distributed to the targeted population without hassles before Diwali, starting from October 24.