Ensure transparency and continue Amma scooter scheme: OPS

Chennai: The ruling DMK government has unleashed political vendetta against the Amma brand of schemes and the last scheme bearing the brunt is Amma Scooter inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.

Schemes named after brand “Amma” continue to face closure or lack of funds, former chief minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam said in a statement on Friday.

Gold for Thaali, Rs 2,500 for Pongal festival, Amma scooter, and Amma clinic have been shelved by the DMK regime and the fund allocation to Amma scooter has been stopped.

The Amma scooter scheme is popular among women, where beneficiaries can avail of either a 50 per cent subsidy or Rs 25,000 cash (whichever is lower).

Till now more than two lakh women have benefitted under the scheme and in 2020 2021 a sum of Rs 253 crore was sanctioned for the project.

“But the State Rural Development minister in his Assembly speech had said that the women are happy with the free bus scheme and had compared the free bus service with the Amma scooter scheme. The simple fact is that one scheme cannot replace another,” OPS said.

The minister also hinted that with the petrol prices skyrocketing the Amma scooter scheme will be a hindrance but the free bus service will be the future, this speech by the DMK legislator is an indication that the DMK ministry wants to close down the populist Amma scooter scheme.

Further, there is no clarity on budget allocation for the scheme. Already Amma canteen, the flagship scheme of AIADMK is affected and the public is watching all these political developments. Thiruvalluvar in his couplet had said that the public will count the days of an unruly ruler and the fate of the DMK government will soon be decided by the public, OPS said.