Tamil Nadu CM inaugurates registration camp for women to avail Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday inaugurated a camp here to facilitate registration of applications by women to avail the Rs 1,000 monthly basic income scheme, a flagship programme of the ruling DMK regime set to be launched in September. Launching the registration exercise, Stalin inspected the process of biometric registration and authorities said the first phase of special camp for Dharmapuri district would be held from July 24 to August 4, covering 2,21,484 family card holders. The second phase of the camp would be conducted between August 5 and 16 for 2,47,111 ration card holders. As many as 35,923 camps are set to be held across the state for the registration exercise.

In the 2023-24 Budget, the state government announced the allocation of Rs 7,000 crore for the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam' (Kalaignar Scheme for Women's Right) an initiative to ensure a basic minimum income for eligible women heads of families. The scheme is expected to benefit approximately one crore women. As regards eligibility, the government has said that the yearly income of the family should be less than Rs 2.50 lakh per annum.

In case the applicants own a wetland, it should be less than five acres and in case of a dryland, it must be below ten acres. Annual domestic electricity consumption should be less than 3,600 units. On July 7, Stalin, in a review meeting here advised officials to ensure that not a single eligible person is left out of the scheme's ambit. District collectors should ensure that marginalised sections of society such as those living on streets, tribals and sanitary workers are benefitted. Even if prospective beneficiaries from marginalised sections do not have requisite documents like ration and Aadhar cards, facilitation should be extended to them to get such documents.

The government had announced that the scheme would be implemented from September 15, the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.
The other aspects in respect of eligibility is the stipulation that applicants should have completed 21 years of age and only one woman/woman-head from a family that has a ration card could apply to avail the Rs 1,000 monthly support.

In the ration card, if the name of a man was mentioned as the family head, his wife would be regarded as the woman head of the family. For some reason, if the name of the man's wife does not figure in the ration card, one of the other women, who are part of that family would be treated as woman head of family for the purpose of the scheme.
Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam, elected representatives and senior officials took part.