 "J Jayalalithaa")
After water, salt and canteen, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has extended brand ‘Amma’ to mobile phones.
Jayalalithaa, known as ‘Amma’ among the workers of her party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, however said the mobile phone scheme would be limited to trainers of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) working in different fields. Making the announcement in the state Assembly, she said Rs 15 crore was set aside to distribute 20,000 phones in the first phase.
Women SHGs trainers have to maintain records of membership subscriptions, savings, loans and recoveries. Jayalalithaa said a software in Tamil would be developed to help them do it with ease. The mobile phones given to the trainers would have the software embedded in them.
She noted women SHGs were formed during her regime in 1991 and later in 2005 along with World Bank, new welfare scheme was launched.
Now there are 608,000 women SHGs with 9.2 million members operating in the state.
Brand Amma was first roll out under with Amma Ulavagam (low-cost canteens) where subsidised meals at Rs 5 a plate were launched. Following this, the State government launched Amma fruit and vegetable stalls, Amma mineral water, Amma Medicines and Amma Cement.
