TN: '80 Percent Wouldn't Be Eligible' Says Annamalai After DMK Govt Announces Criteria For Rs 1000 Monthly Aid To Female Heads Of Familes

The state government has released the eligibility criteria for the Rs 1000 per month to female heads of a family scheme called 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai.'

It was one of the major poll promises of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) during its 2021 Assembly election campaign.

Women with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh, family land holding not exceeding 5 acres (wetland) and 10 acres (dryland), and annual household electricity consumption below 3,600 units will be eligible for a monthly aid of Rs 1,000.

The scheme would be launched on 15 September, which is the birth anniversary of former chief minister CN Annadurai.

To be eligible for the scheme, the woman must be at least 21 years old.

Applications can only be made at the ration shop where the family card is attached.

The woman head of the family is determined based on the ration card. If a woman is listed as the head, she will be considered as the woman head. If a man is listed as the head, his wife will be considered as the woman head. Unmarried single women, destitutes, and transpersons who head their families will also be considered as the woman head.

Those ineligible include employees of the central and state governments, public sector undertakings, banks, boards, local bodies, cooperative societies, and their pensioners.

Individuals who own four-wheelers such as cars, jeeps, tractors, heavy vehicles for personal use and elected representatives (except for village panchayat ward members) will not be eligible.

Families that are already receiving aid from existing social security programs such as widow pension, old-age pension, and pension from the welfare board for the unorganized sector are not eligible. However, those receiving maintenance allowance from the Department for the Welfare of Differently-Abled Persons can apply for the assistance.

A budget of Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme.

After the eligibility criteria was announced, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai said that while the DMK had promised to provide this aid to all women during its election campaign, it was now imposing conditions that would make around 80 per cent of women heads of households ineligible.

He said that the people of the state are hard working and having an income limit of Rs 20,833 per month for the family indicated that no one in the family should be going to work in order to be eligible for the Rs 1000 per month aid.