Tamil Nadu CM rolls out Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme for women heads of families

Kancheepuram: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday launched the DMK government's flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai.

Stalin launched the scheme saying it was a recognition of women's hard work and distributed bank debit cards to several beneficiaries and state ministers rolled out the programme in their districts.

It is a matter of pride that the scheme is launched on the birth anniversary of Anna and during the centenary (2023-24) of Karunanidhi, he said.

A basic income programme, it is named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the "right" of women.

The government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Officially, the scheme is "Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam," Kalaignar Scheme for the Rights of Women. Late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi (1924-2018) is popularly known as Kalaignar, which means an artist of eminence.

The state government had months ago announced that the scheme, a key feature of DMK's manifesto ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, would be launched on September 15, on the birth anniversary of Annadurai.

Kancheepuram is Annadurai's home town who steered the DMK to its first-ever grand victory in the assembly election in 1967 and he was Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister between 1967 and 1969. Annadurai founded the DMK in 1949.

In July, Stalin inaugurated a camp in Dharmapuri to facilitate the registration of applications by women to avail of the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance.

Stalin had described the scheme as revolutionary which would lead to a new renaissance in the lives of crores of women.

The Rs 12,000 payout per annum would greatly support women, a symbol of development. He had said it would help them improve their living standards, lead a self-respectful life and eradicate poverty.

On the 115th birth anniversary of Annadurai, Stalin garlanded a statue of the Dravidian stalwart here and paid floral tributes before he launched the scheme.

(With PTI inputs)