Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister Unveils Ambitious Women's Welfare Scheme

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, M K Stalin, announced on Monday that approximately 1.06 crore women are eligible to receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 as part of the government's flagship women entitlement program, Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam. He mentioned that the government has received around 1.63 crore applications for these benefits, fulfilling a pre-election promise made by the DMK party.

Stalin conducted a virtual review of the preparations for the scheme rollout, scheduled for September 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai. He emphasized that an annual allocation of Rs 12,000 crore has been set aside for this scheme, making it the most substantial budget allocation for any social welfare initiative by the state government.

To qualify for this benefit, a woman's annual family income should be less than Rs 2.5 lakh, and she should possess less than five acres of wetland and 10 acres of dry land. Additionally, her household's annual domestic power consumption should be below 3,600 units. Each family can designate one woman member on their ration card to receive this benefit.

The government plans to directly deposit the monthly allowance into the bank accounts of the women heading these households. Stalin also stated that ATM cards will be issued to all beneficiaries gradually to ensure convenient access to their funds. He instructed authorities to include a toll-free helpline number in the SMS messages sent to beneficiaries on September 15 to report any issues with withdrawing money from their bank accounts.

Stalin stressed the importance of officials sending SMS messages to those whose applications did not meet the criteria, explaining the reasons for rejection. He encouraged providing opportunities for reapplication to build trust in the government.

Furthermore, he called for the establishment of proper arrangements and a help desk to address complaints from women who were not selected under the scheme. District collectors were advised to monitor the smooth coordination between the government, banks, and the public in implementing the program. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and other senior bureaucrats.