CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday launched a slew of welfare schemes including marriage aid with 8-gram gold coins for women and enhanced pension sum to retired temple priests.
The marriage assistance, being implemented through the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, includes an eight-gram gold coin in addition to cash assistance to over 94,700 women.
About Rs 762.23 crore has been sanctioned during 2021 - 22 fiscal to provide the aid.
The beneficiaries include 53,599 degree or diploma holders and 41,101 others.
Also, the CM virtually inaugurated the office of the district differently-abled welfare for Villupuram, built at a cost of Rs one crore on the premises of Villupuram collectorate.
Stalin launched the distribution of enhanced pension amount to eligible priests who retired after serving in various temples including those being managed by the State Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department, at the Secretariat here.
The move would entail about 1,804 retired village temple priests to get a pension of Rs 4, 000 (as against Rs 3,000 in the past) each besides 100 Archakars, Odhuvars, Vedaparayanars, Arayars, Divya Prabandham reciters and musicians would receive a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 (as against Rs 1,000 in the past).
Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, HR & CE Minister P K Sekar Babu, Social Welfare Minister P Geetha Jeevan, Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and senior officials participated.