Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin
Credit: PTI Photo
As many as 1.63 crore women in Tamil Nadu have applied for the ambitious Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam which envisages providing Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to women heads of families as the last date for enrolling beneficiaries to the scheme ended on Monday.
Special camps were held in two phases in over 36,000 centres across the state in July and August to receive applications from women who want to receive the monthly assistance from the government. The state government also conducted special camps on August 18, 19, and 20 to help those who failed to enroll previously to submit their applications.
“As many as 1.63 crore applications have been submitted by women for availing Rs 1,000 every month. These applications have been uploaded into a mobile app designed exclusively for choosing beneficiaries for the scheme,” a government statement said.
It added that applicants should provide necessary information sought by volunteers during the field inspection. The beneficiaries will be chosen by the electronic system which has been put in place and there will be no “manual interference,” a senior government official told DH.
The scheme will be launched by Chief Minister M K Stalin on September 15 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of DMK founder and late Chief Minister C N Annadurai. The “rightful money” of Rs 1,000 will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries and this will be one of the largest Direct Benefit Transfer schemes in the country.
Officials said the government believes that about 1 crore women like street vendors, fisherwomen, housemaids, and construction workers among many other categories will get the assistance.
In his address at the meeting of the Economic Advisory Council to the Chief Minister on Monday night, Stalin said the scheme is modelled on the Uniform Basic Income which is being implemented in several countries and that researchers have found several changes in the economic condition of people who benefitted from such schemes.
“The first goal of the scheme is to recognize the hard work of women who sacrifice their lives for their families. Rs 12,000 a year will not just help improve their life, but also give them a sense of self-respect,” Stalin added.
The scheme has come under criticism of the opposition parties who have criticized the eligibility criteria announced by the government. While the DMK manifesto said all women heads of families will get an assistance of Rs 1,000 per month, the party, after coming to power, said it will be a “targeted scheme.”
The eligibility criteria excludes tax payers, government servants, families owning four-wheelers, elected representatives, business owners who pay GST, and families that consume over 3,600-unit electricity per year among others from the scheme.