Stalin credits ₹5,000 to TN women under Kalaignar Scheme ahead of polls

Stalin also announced to double the monthly grant to ₹2,000 if his DMK party was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's announcement on Friday said his government has deposited Rs 5,000 each to 1.31 crore women beneficiaries of the government's women entitlement scheme, leading to the opposition parties flaying his move as "fear of defeat at the hustings."

 

Also, the Chief Minister announced to double the monthly grant to Rs 2,000 if his DMK party was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election.

 

Noting that Rs 5,000 has been directly deposited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of Kalaignar Women's Entitlement scheme, he said, "You would have received Rs 5,000 this morning. I have decided to provide the sum in view of an attempt (by vested interests) to freeze the scheme citing upcoming elections."

 

So, in order to counter the move to prevent the women from receiving the monthly financial assistance due for them, he had decided to provide the sum for three months from February and in addition provide Rs 2,000 to meet their expenses during summer, he said in a video message posted on his social media platform 'X.'

 

"Further, the monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 will be increased to Rs 2,000 once the DMK returns to power this year," Stalin said in the message.

 

"I appeal to the sisters to judiciously utilise the amount for the expenses towards the education needs of your children, buying medicine or other essentials that are required," Stalin, who is the president of the DMK, said, and exuded confidence that his party would return to power.

 

Stalin said when he assumed charge as Chief Minister (in 2021) his government faced numerous challenges including the pandemic and financial crisis left by the previous AIADMK regime. "We provided a relief amount of Rs 4,000 to protect your livelihood. And after overcoming the severe financial crisis left by the previous AIADMK government, we implemented many schemes," he said in the video message.

 

Despite the criticism that it was not feasible, the government successfully implemented the Rs 1,000 Kalaignar Women entitlement scheme from September 2023, initially to 1.13 crore women, and later expanded to include many women heads of family ration cardholders, thus totalling to 1.31 crore beneficiaries today.

 

Describing the initiative as "their entitlement sum given to recognise the contribution of women to society," the Chief Minister said, "this amount has enabled women to meet many essential expenses such as daily household expenses, medical expenses incurred in the family, besides education expenses for children." Owing to the scheme's popularity other states were beginning to implement it.

 

"As we are working to improve the financial condition, there is information that a 'group' in Delhi and another 'their slave' in Tamil Nadu are plotting to stop the women's entitlement for the next three months, citing the upcoming Assembly elections. Also, reports indicate that some are trying to move the court in this regard," the Chief Minister claimed.

 

"As someone in your family, I know very well how much difficulty you will face if this scheme, which recognised the labour of 1. 31 crore women; is stopped for three months. I can feel how much pain you will experience if this amount is stopped during summer when it is difficult to go to work in the scorching heat," Stalin further said.

 

His thought on how they would manage the monthly expenses, buy medicine for the sick in the family or feed children during exams and meet other essential requirements, made him take the important decision to immediately disburse the aid for February, March and April. In addition, an additional special grant of Rs 2,000 was included as expenses for summer, he said.

 

Reacting, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami said, "the announcement reflected the Chief Minister's fear of defeat at the hustings."

 

"The Stalin-led government, which did not implement this scheme for 28 months after coming to power, is now giving a 'summer special grant' along with the three-months instalment sum," Palaniswami said in a post on 'X'.

 

Women will not trust this "patchwork of crediting election time money", Palaniswami, said.

 

He claimed that Stalin had hiked the monthly sum following AIADMK's election promise of providing Rs 2,000 monthly aid to women heads of family ration cardholders when his party formed the next government this year.

 

Actor-politician Vijay wondered if summer came only this year for the Chief Minister to announce a special grant of Rs 2,000.

 

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder questioned the state government for disbursing the monthly aid two days ahead of the scheduled 15th of every month.

 

BJP leader and former Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan strongly condemned the announcement and said, "the Chief Minister made the announcement due to fear of defeat in the election."

 

AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran said even if the DMK government provided Rs 50,000 to each women, the ruling party was sure to be defeated at the hustings.

 

DMK's ally, the Congress, however, welcomed the move and said this will be a real relief for poor and middle-class families struggling under the burden of inflation.

 

"We see this as a tribute to the hard work and self-confidence of women," TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai said on 'X.