Tamil Nadu government will launch Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam (Kalaignar Women Entitlement Scheme), a monthly financial assistance scheme, where 1.06 crore eligible women will be paid Rs 1,000 across the state from September 15. The women will receive the amount directly transferred to their bank accounts. The women will also be given an ATM card each to withdraw the sum, Chief Minister Stalin said, as reported by PTI.
After virtually reviewing the scheme, the CM instructed Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena to advise the district collectors to oversee its execution. The scheme is set to be introduced on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai.
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Updates will be sent to the recipients through SMS. “Of the nearly 1.63 crore applications received for the scheme, a total of 1.06 crore have been accepted,” the chief minister said in a release.
According to the operational guidelines, women with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh and families not holding land exceeding 5 acres (wetland) and 10 acres (dryland) would be eligible for the scheme. It also promised the sum for families with annual household electricity consumption below 3,600 units to avail of the benefits. The state had allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the scheme in Budget 2023-24.
Other eligibility requirements for the scheme include applicants being at least 21 years old and only one woman/woman-head from a family with a ration card may apply to receive the Rs 1,000 monthly support.
The women's family head assistance scheme was a part of the promise made by DMK during the run-up for the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in 2021