TIRUNELVELI/TENKASI: Marking the inauguration of Rs 1,000 monthly allowance distribution under the Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai, Assembly Speaker M Appavu distributed ATM cards of the scheme to about 2,000 women beneficiaries in Tirunelveli on Friday.
Addressing the gathering, Appavu said the women, whose applications for the allowance were rejected, could contact respective taluk or revenue division offices to rectify mistakes in the applications if any. "Exclusive centres for the scheme have been set up at district collectorates. The district administration had received 3,60,345 applications under the scheme," he said. Collector K P Karthikeyan, Tirunelveli MP S Gnanathiraviam and district panchayat president V S R Jagathish were present on the occasion.
In Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, the distribution of the monthly allowance commenced on Thursday morning and many women even thronged the online service centres till midnight.
Vijay Kumar, a service provider under the union government's Common Service Centre (CSC) initiative, said, "More than 120 women in Kalathimadam village visited my CSC to withdraw Rs 1,000. An elderly woman kissed my hand out of happiness before she left the centre at about 11 p.m. Most of the beneficiaries are from poor backgrounds, but some women who have family assets worth more than one crore rupees have also received the benefit. Owing to a baseless rumour that the government would retract the money if it is not withdrawn by the beneficiary immediately, lots of women from rural areas had rushed in to collect the cash."