MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday launched Thaimaman Thanga mothiram Thittam (TTMT) at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai city.
He offered a 1-gram gold ring to 27 infants at GRH, Madurai. On the stage, he offered gold rings to three babies - Muthu Yazhini, Mohammed Shahisha and Joval. Later he walked to CEMONC block in another building and offered gold rings to 10 babies in the maternity ward, located on the same premises.
Speaking to media persons, Archana Devi, whose baby received the first gold ring under the TTMT scheme, said, "I am extremely happy to receive the gold ring for my daughter. Since I don't have any brothers, I am very happy and I was surprised to get the ring directly from the TN Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who treated me as a sister."
The state government has allocated an annual outlay of Rs 755.83 crore for the scheme, as part of the series of maternal and child health welfare schemes. In the first phase, 1.28 lakh gold rings have been made ready. The gold rings will carry unique serial numbers and be distributed in tamper-proof packaging. Eligible beneficiaries should be registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system and have a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID. The gold rings will be provided when the beneficiaries are discharged from the hospitals.
For the state level initiation, a specialised monitoring committee headed by the respective district Collector has been constituted in every district to oversee local implementation, inventory tracking and transparency in distribution. Under the scheme, each eligible newborn delivered at a government hospital will receive a one-gram, 22-carat gold ring.
Later in the day, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay also inaugurated the renovated Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai. Vijay also garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and unveiled a plaque. He then visited the museum galleries and viewed photographs depicting India’s freedom struggle. He also saw the blood-stained dhoti worn by Mahatma Gandhi at the time of his assassination. He signed the visitors’ book and recorded his impressions of the Gandhi Museum.
The historic Gandhi Museum, which underwent a Rs 10.25-crore renovation over the past two-and-a-half years, was reopened with a blend of its heritage character and modern digital displays. The museum, one of seven Gandhi memorial museums established across India after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, holds particular significance as Gandhi changed to his iconic loincloth during his stay on Westmasi Street in Madurai on September 22, 1921.
Housed in the summer palace of Queen Mangammal, built in 1670, the heritage structure was later used as the residence of British judges and district collectors. The museum was inaugurated on April 15, 1959, by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The museum houses 14 original articles used by Gandhi and 32 replicas. Among its most significant exhibits is the blood-stained dhoti worn by Gandhi on the day he was assassinated.
It also has a replica of Gandhi's Sevagram hut, a Gandhi memorial and a peace park. Several prominent personalities, including Indian Prime Ministers and Presidents, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Chief Ministers and international figures such as Martin Luther King Jr and the Dalai Lama, have visited the museum. The renovation was taken up following repeated requests from domestic and international tourists for the museum to reopen. While preserving the heritage character of the building, the walls and ceilings have been restored.
The renovated museum now features digital photographs, digital displays and audio-visual and electronic exhibits. Tamil translations of the exhibits have also been completed, making the museum more accessible to visitors.
With the integration of modern technology without altering its historic character, the museum is expected to offer visitors a more interactive experience of Gandhi's life and India's freedom struggle.