Tamil Nadu Budget: Rs 1,000 subsidy program for female household heads to begin in September 2023

By: WE Staff | Monday, 20 March 2023

The ruling DMK announced the commencement of one of its major election-time pledges, saying the program giving Rs 1000 per month support for qualified women who are the head of households will go into effect in September.

The launch of the "game-changer" initiative would occur on September 15, the anniversary of the birth of the late Dravidian stalwart and party founder CN Annadurai. This would be months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which the DMK has set its sights on its led alliance winning all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the single Puducherry seat.

State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan presented the Assembly with the Budget for 2023–2024 and said that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin will introduce the monthly assistance program.

While making the announcement, he stated that the budget has set aside Rs 7,000 crore for the project and that the details of its implementation are still being worked out. According to him, it will "alter the game" for how the State's women live their socioeconomic lives.

On September 15, Dravidian legend and DMK founder CN Annadurai (1909-1969) celebrates his birthdate.

Between 1967 to 1969, he served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, presiding over the state's first post-independence non-Congress administration.

One of the political promises made by the DMK before the 2021 Assembly election was the Rs 1,000 support for female household heads, and it subsequently turned out to be a highly well-liked pledge.

The DMK leadership was often criticized by the leader of the main opposition AIADMK for "not executing" the plan, but it was eventually realized.

DMK President and CM Stalin had promised to make a statement on the commencement date of the aid program during his campaign for the recently held Erode (East) bypoll. He then stated that it will be revealed during the Budget presentation.

The formal name of the aid is "Magalir Urimai Thogai," which translates to "Women's Right to Help" in Tamil.

On presenting the budget, State Finance Minister noted that "we have reduced the yearly revenue shortfall which we inherited on entering office (May 2021) from roughly Rs 62,000 crore to around Rs 30,000 crore in the Revised Estimates of the current year." This is despite the several "huge assistance measures" that have been put into place over the past two years, he claimed.

One of the many programs being implemented is the fare-free travel for women in State-run buses and the breakfast program for pupils attending government schools.

The main opposition AIADMK sought to bring up problems even as State Finance Minister started his speech, which briefly caused a commotion. Thereafter, the party's MLAs organized a walkout.

Notwithstanding successes, the minister warned that "difficult times ahead" due to extraordinary inflation, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the instability of the global economy and financial markets.

"We have exceeded by expanding faster than the national average in the prior year and by greatly decreasing the Revenue Deficit and Budget Deficit compared to that of the Union government," he added, adding that it was a testament to Stalin's leadership.

The finance minister promised the construction of a "state of the art global sports city" in Chennai, as well as the allocation of Rs 25 crore for "factory skill schools" and the Coimbatore and Madurai Metro train projects.

State Finance Minister also disclosed plans to renovate the Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium for an estimated 25 crore rupees. The Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development is Udhayanidhi, son of CM Stalin. According to State Finance Minister, the free breakfast program for elementary pupils has increased school attendance by 10% to 30%.

He stated that the government will spend Rs 1,500 crore building classrooms, labs, and restrooms in the following fiscal year. As witnessed in various pronouncements, the Budget also highlighted the DMK regime's emphasis on social justice, Tamil development, and cultural ideology.

In addition to a memorial for the Tamil martyrs Thalamuthu and Natarajan, who gave their lives in the fight against "Hindi imposition," it also includes a Rs 5 crore grant for the translation of Dr. BR Ambedkar's works into Tamil, the organization of an international conference on Tamil computing, and the promotion of sea cruises that link important locations in Tamil culture.

"The Chola period saw the apex of Tamil art, music, architecture, sculpture, crafts, and dance, and their splendour travelled far and wide. A great Chola museum will be built in Thanjavur to conserve artifacts and treasures from that period and to commemorate the contribution of the Cholas who once controlled the globe " State Finance Minister declared. The government would also provide 591 additional senior Tamil scholars free bus passes.