‘Vidiyal Payanam’ served 520 crore free bus rides so far: Udhayanidhi Stalin

CHENNAI: Applauding the reach of social welfare schemes launched by the State government, sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said that each woman in Tamil Nadu saves nearly Rs 1,000 per month through the Vidiyal Payanam scheme.

Various welfare schemes implemented by the Dravidian model government have put the state on top on various fronts at the national level, the DMK scion added.

Speaking at a function organised to distribute pattas for house plots to 2,099 beneficiaries at Tiruvottiyur in the city, Udhayanidhi cited the various welfare schemes implemented by the ‘Dravidian model’ government and said that women have undertaken a whopping 520 crore trips using the free bus ride scheme for women, better known as Vidiyal Payanam scheme.

Each woman saves nearly Rs 1,000 per month, the sports minister said, pointing out that as many as 20 lakh schoolchildren benefit from the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, which has now been extended to government-aided primary schools in rural areas. He said that 6.25 lakh college-going students benefit from the Puthumai Penn and Tamil Puthalvan schemes and 1.15 crore women receive Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium under the Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai scheme.