Chennai: The DMK government’s flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women was rolled out here Friday by Chief Minister M K Stalin on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.
Stalin launched the scheme here saying it is 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 Right 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 registration of applications by women to avail the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance.
Stalin had described the scheme as revolutionary that would lead to a new renaissance in the lives of crores of women.
The Rs 12,000 payout per annum would be great support for women, a symbol of development. It would help them improve their standards of living, lead a life of self-respect and eradicate poverty, he had said.
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.
Also read: Wearing gold has health benefits – let us break them down!
Eligibility criteria:
According to a source, under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam, all women and transgender individuals above 21 years of age are eligible to apply. This includes unmarried and widowed women who serve as the heads of their households.
To be considered eligible, applicants must have an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh, making the program particularly advantageous for economically disadvantaged women. Land ownership is also a factor, as applicants should possess less than 10 acres of dry land or five acres of wetland, as per the source.
Furthermore, the annual domestic electricity consumption of the household should not exceed 3,600 units. These criteria are designed to direct assistance to families genuinely facing financial difficulties, the source concluded.
Who doesn’t qualify?
While the scheme aims to be inclusive, certain categories of individuals are not eligible to apply. This includes employees of state and central governments, as well as public sector undertakings (PSUs), bank employees, income taxpayers, professional taxpayers, pensioners, elected representatives of local bodies, and owners of four-wheelers, the source informed.
How to apply?
To apply for the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam, eligible women should visit their local ration shops. Each family can nominate one female member for the program. In cases where a man’s name is listed as the head of the family on the ration card, his wife will be considered for the scheme. It’s important to note that only one beneficiary is allowed per family’s ration card, the source said.
PNN & Agencies