Rs 1,000 Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme gets Kalaignar’s name

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday announced that the scheme of distributing Rs 1,000 per eligible homemaker in the State would be called ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam’, named after his father-cum-DMK patriarch and former CM Kalaignar M Karunanidhi.

Speaking at a special review meeting organised at the Secretariat to discuss the scheme’s implementation, Stalin described social justice as the guiding principle of his government and main objective of every scheme implemented by his government. He said that caste and gender inequalities were a deterrent to the growth of India.

Listing out the various schemes implemented by the former CM for women’s development in the State, he said, “It would be a fitting tribute to name the scheme of distributing Rs 1,000 per month to each eligible homemaker in the State after Kalaignar. Also, it would add more to his glory to his centenary celebrations.”

Attributing India’s worrisome (127th rank out of 146 countries) ranking in the Global Gender Disparity Index to the educational and economic status of women in the country, Stalin was confident that the socioeconomic status of women in Tamil Nadu would improve greatly when the scheme was implemented. “From issuing the GO to framing guidelines for the scheme, the various stakeholder departments would accomplish their tasks within the stipulated time. Such a massive scheme has never been implemented in the State so far. District collectors have a massive role to play in its implementation. Given that only two months are remaining for the scheme’s launch (Anna’s birthday on September 15), district collectors must pay special attention in identifying the beneficiaries as we expect to receive nearly 1.5 crore applications,” he added.

Advising the district collectors to organise special camps at Fair Price shops and make adequate security arrangements to avoid untoward incidents, the CM added: “Ensure roadside dwellers, people from the scheduled tribes, conservancy workers and other destitute people benefit from the scheme. If they don’t have rations cards, you must make arrangements for them to get it and enrol them as beneficiaries.”

Stalin also advised the State-level monitoring committee led by the Chief Secretary to coordinate the implementation. Appealing to the bureaucrats and officials to ensure the scheme was implemented without any complaints, the CM told officers, “Contact me or my office or Udhayanidhi for clarification and support,” he declared. “He will be implementing the scheme.”