EPS demands 'Magalir Urimai Thogai' scheme to be extended to all women

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday urged the DMK government to extend the welfare scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 every month to all women as per the poll promise.

Chief minister MK Stalin had recently launched a welfare scheme titled 'Magalir Urimai Thogai' to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 every month to the eligible beneficiaries.

However, Palaniswami, in a statement here, claimed that the DMK had promised in its election manifesto that the financial assistance will be given to all women in the State. "However, the scheme was launched only now after 28 months in power", he said adding that too the scheme has reached only to half of the women population in the state.

"This chief minister, who promised to provide financial assistance to all the women in the state, has given thousands of conditions to avail the amount that cannot be acceptable", he said.

Alleging that the women financial assistance scheme is implemented keeping an eye on the upcoming general elections, the Opposition Leader of the House said "even people will know about this".

Claiming that during the last 28 months after coming to the power, the electricity tariff, property tax, water tax and milk prices have been hiked, Palaniswami said the monthly expenses per family have increased to up to Rs 10,000 and the financial assistance provided to the selected women was just peanuts and the scheme should be extended to all the women in the state, he added.