Stalin launches Rs 1,000 monthly aid for women

The DMK government’s flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women was rolled out in Kancheepuram on Friday on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon, the late CN Annadurai, with chief minister MK Stalin saying it meets the twin objectives of recognising women’s hard work and eliminating poverty.

Stalin launched the ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam’ (Kalaignar Scheme for Right of Women) from the hometown of Annadurai, the DMK founder who heralded Tamil Nadu’s first non-Congress government in independent India in 1967. Late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi (1924-2018) is popularly known as Kalaignar, which means an artist of eminence.

A basic income programme, it is named after former CM M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the “right” of women. The government said Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme this year. The initiative is a recognition of women’s hard work, a key objective of the scheme.

“Nobody took into account the work of women at their homes. This scheme aims at acknowledging their work,” Stalin said. The other goal is that the Rs 12,000 per annum aid would help women live with self-respect by eliminating poverty and improving their living standard.

“These two are the objectives of the scheme under the Dravidian model regime. We have devised this programme on the basis of lessons we learnt from Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar. Entire India is closely watching the schemes the DMK has implemented and other states are very eager to follow,” he said.

He added: “When I go to the INDIA bloc meetings, leaders who attend the meet enquire with interest the schemes that are brought by our government. They think of implementing them in their states. Some union ministers, too, enquired about Tamil Nadu’s schemes when I took part in the dinner (G20) hosted by President Droupadi Murmu…”

“I do not consider this as appreciation for me. It is the admiration for the Tamil Nadu government and our people.” 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.

Slamming main opposition AIADMK without naming it, Stalin said some people, who bet on false propaganda had dubbed the Rs 1,000 plan a false assurance that could not be fulfilled. The CM said his government would have fulfilled the promise soon after his party assumed power in May 2021 but for the fiscal situation then.

With inputs from News18

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