The DMK government’s announcement of a ₹7000 crore allocation in the budget 2023-24 for the Monthly Assistance Scheme For Women has sparked outrage from all sides, as the money will not be enough to fulfill the DMK government’s election promise of providing assistance to all 2.2 crore ration cards.
The DMK government in Tamil Nadu said that it will roll out the scheme of providing ‘rightful money’ of ₹1,000 per month to women heads of “eligible households” from 15 September 2023, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dravidian stalwart and DMK founder CN Annadurai.
“I am delighted to announce that, beginning with the ensuing fiscal year, women heads of eligible households will receive ₹1,000 per month. The program will greatly benefit women who are the heads of households who have been negatively impacted by the Union Government’s sharp increase in cooking gas prices as well as the overall price increase,” PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan said.
However, the phrase “eligible household” has drawn criticism from a few quarters because the DMK during the election campaign had promised to give “rightful money” to ever women head of the household.
The Tamil Nadu government will spend a total of ₹7000 crore, or ₹1000 crore per month, between September 2023 and March 2024. This means that if ₹1000 crore is spent each month, the government can only pay 1 crore people. This will result in more than 50% of women heads of families in Tamil Nadu being left out of the scheme.
However, MK Stalin while being in the opposition in 2021, stated that all women in Tamil Nadu with ration cards would be given “rightful money” of ₹1000 per month. Social media is now awash with the viral video of MK Stalin promising all the women heads of Tamil Nadu ₹1000 per month.
வொர்ஸ்ட் ரா நூவு pic.twitter.com/184FxDaA74
— இந்தா வாயின்கோ – Take That (@indhavaainko) March 20, 2023
அனைவருக்கும்னா கட்சி உறுப்பினர் அனைவருக்கும்னு அர்த்தமா இருக்குமோ ? இல்ல இவர்கள் கொடுப்பது போக மீதி இருப்பவர்களை குடும்பதலைவிகளாக இந்த அரசு மதிக்கவில்லையோ ?#TNBudget2023 pic.twitter.com/yCwn8ZrYmR
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) March 20, 2023
Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan estimates that the TASMAC, the Tamil Nadu government’s liquor sales company, will see revenue of ₹50,000 crore, an increase of ₹5000 crores from the previous fiscal year.
Increasing TASMAC sales will have severe social cost like alcoholism, weakened labour force, domestic abuse, rising crime rates and accidents. Funding the ₹1000 per month scheme for women household heads by increasing TASMAC sales, is only going to make matters worse for women opine critics.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.