PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced in the Assembly on Wednesday that women heads of Above Poverty Line (APL) families holding yellow ration cards, who are not covered under any existing scheme, will receive Rs 1,000 per month. This initiative mirrors the scheme already in place for women heads of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
Concluding the budget discussions, Rangasamy clarified that the government has extended the existing Rs 1,000 monthly assistance for BPL women to include APL families. He explained that the decision followed pleas from Assembly members, who argued that many yellow card holders were marginally above the poverty line.
Earlier, in his 2025-2026 budget, he had announced an increase in assistance for BPL women from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500. Furthermore, the government will increase the wages of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) employed under the Rajiv Gandhi Bread and Breakfast scheme to Rs 18,000 per month, up from the current Rs 10,000, the chief minister stated.
Addressing concerns raised by members regarding the financial feasibility of these schemes, Rangasamy assured that all announced initiatives would be implemented.