Many women in Tamil Nadu woke up to find their bank accounts credited with Rs 1,000. This came from the state government’s latest social welfare initiative — Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam (Kalaignar Women's Rights Grant Scheme) — which was launched by the Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday, September 15 at Kanchipuram.

CM Stalin also distributed debit cards to the beneficiaries of the scheme. State ministers rolled out the programme in their districts.

Under this scheme, Rs 1,000 per month is being deposited to the accounts of all eligible women beneficiaries. Along with financial support to women, the scheme also pays tribute to the legacy of former CM CN Annadurai, as it coincides with his birth anniversary.

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.

(Source: ANI's Twitter account)

A sum of Rs 7,000 crore was set aside for the scheme in the state budget that was presented this year, making it the highest-spending social welfare scheme for the Tamil Nadu government. According to the state government, they received 1.63 crore applications for the scheme and after verification, 1.06 crore women were shortlisted based on the eligibility criteria.

To keep beneficiaries informed and updated about the scheme, the Tamil Nadu government earlier said they would utilise SMS notifications.

The financial aid is being directly transferred into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, ensuring a streamlined and efficient distribution process. With the issued ATM cards, eligible women will be able to withdraw the allocated amount as needed.

Under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam, women and transgender individuals above 21 years of age are eligible. This includes unmarried and widowed women who are the heads of their households. Applicants need to have an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh, making the scheme particularly beneficial for economically vulnerable women. Land ownership is also taken into account, with applicants allowed to own less than 10 acres of dry land or five acres of wetland.

In addition to income and land ownership, the annual domestic power consumption of the family should be less than 3,600 units.

While the scheme aims to be inclusive, certain categories of individuals are exempted. These include employees of state and central governments and public sector undertakings (PSUs), bank employees, income taxpayers, professional taxpayers, pensioners, elected representatives of local bodies, and owners of four-wheelers.

(Edited by : Amrita)

First Published:Sept 15, 2023 11:08 AM IST