Two days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme that provides women with a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000, complaints of a few banks deducting the amount directly from accounts of beneficiaries have surfaced. The state government on Sunday, September 17, clarified through a press release that deductions have been reported despite banks being informed to not debit money.
Some banks have reportedly deducted money stating reasons such as bank fees and loan repayments. The state government said that strict action will be initiated against banks that have debited Rs 1,000 awarded to women under the Magalir Urimai Thogai, and added that the scheme’s transactions will be channelled through other banks if the existing banks fail to follow instructions.
Women above the age of 21 with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh, family land holding not exceeding 5 acres (wetland) or 10 acres (dryland), and with an annual household electricity consumption below 3,600 units are eligible to avail the scheme. According to the government, nearly 1.06 crore women are set to benefit from this in Tamil Nadu.
Although the scheme was announced in the DMK’s election manifesto, it was delayed by two years. Addressing the delay at the scheme inauguration ceremony in Kancheepuram on September 15, CM MK Stalin said, “We would have implemented this scheme as soon as we came to power, but the financial situation in the state was not great then. That is why we fixed it to some extent and decided to implement the scheme now. Some miscreants could not bear to see this and tried to shut this down by spreading rumours and false news. But we have kept our promise and delivered on it.”
The scheme was launched across all the districts in the state. According to The Hindu, over 1.63 crore applications were received by the government after which a shortlist with 1,06,50,000 names was released, based on eligibility criteria. The rejected applicants have the option of moving an appeal against the decision and those women who failed to apply previously have also been awarded the opportunity to apply through online service centres set up by the state government.