Stalin Promises Rs 8,000 Worth Coupons for Women to Buy Household Goods

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday promised to provide a coupon worth Rs 8,000 for women in families who are not paying income-tax to purchase or exchange household articles such as refrigerator, washing machine, television, grinders, mixers, microwave ovens and induction stoves at shops near their houses under the ‘Illatharasi’ scheme, if his party is elected to power again.

Releasing the DMK election manifesto for the Assembly elections, Stalin said the monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for women would be doubled to Rs 2,000. He said the monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for boys and girls pursuing higher education would be increased to Rs 1,500. He further said the women who are members of self-help groups would be provided collateral-free bank loans up to Rs 5 lakh to become entrepreneurs.

Stalin promised to expand the free breakfast scheme in place for students up to fifth standard to include those studying upto eighth standard to benefit about 15 lakh more students. Laptops would be provided to 35 lakh students studying higher education in the next five years, he said.

Mr. stalin said Rs 18 lakh crore investments would be attracted to generate 50 lakh jobs and state exports would be increased to $120 billion. About Rs. 10,000 crore investments would be attracted in the IT field and two lakh jobs would be generated in that sector alone. Opportunities for manufacturing defence related equipment in Coimbatore would be created, he said.

On the political front, he said powers are concentrated with the Union government and in practice more violations of power are taking place. A limit should be determined for the Union government’s powers and tax levying rights, he said, adding the Indian Constitution should be amended accordingly. The DMK wants the allocation of 50 percent taxes to the state government. The tax allocation to the developed states should be more and it should be fixed according to the tax collected from them. He also said that education should be transferred to the State list.

For the Sri Lankan Tamils, the manifesto urged the Union government to recognise their just demands and to stop the land grabbing, destruction of Tamil identities and changing the demography of areas where Tamils are living traditionally. The legal status of island Tamils living in India should be clarified and those who are living for several years should be given Indian citizenship.

Stalin said special projects to improve the industrial growth in the northern region and agricultural growth in the delta districts would be developed. Besides, projects to industrialise the southern districts and improve the industries in the western region would also be implemented. The four special projects for the four regions would be carried out at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, Stalin said.

The DMK leader promised to perform the consecration of 5,000 temples in the next five years. He said the existence of indoor stadiums for basketball, volleyball, badminton, self-defence courses and fencing in all the districts would be ensured. He assured to increase the milk procurement price by Rs 5 per litre. He promised that special relief for non-fishing days for the fishermen would be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000.

The families in extreme poverty in the villages would be identified and they would be provided housing, social security, livelihood, skill development and bank loans under the Thayumanavar scheme. Village roads for a distance of 15,000 kilometre would be relaid at an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore. The government would ensure piped drinking water supply every day in all the urban areas of the State by the year 2030. He announced the formation of global cities near Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem, besides promising the purchase of 10,000 new buses.

He promised to increase the senior citizen pension from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 and the monthly assistance for differently-abled from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. He assured to implement the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme providing 50 percent of their last salary as their pension. Once the eighth pay commission recommendations for Union government employees are announced, the State government would set up a commission to look into the recommendations for the State government employees, Stalin said. An increase of procurement price of paddy to Rs 3,500 per quintal and sugarcane to Rs 4,500 per tonne would be effected. An international classical Tamil conference will be held in Chennai, Stalin said.