Two exemplars from Tamil Nadu for others to follow with caution
Not a largesse; it is a recognition of rights!” That is how the Tamil Nadu government’s advertisement on the new social welfare scheme of Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance for women screamed from newspapers. As Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the first-of-its-kind scheme on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai, more than one crore women beneficiaries in the state are ecstatic with their newfound agency and are flashing their brand new debit cards. It is a new benchmark in social welfare schemes anywhere in the country. More than 1.06 crore eligible applicants have received a direct bank transfer. Stalin has said the monthly honorarium scheme, a key feature of the DMK’s 2021 election manifesto, serves two purposes: it recognises the untiring work of women and helps them live with self respect. The scheme is expected to cost more than Rs 12,000 crore, which many believe is not a big deal for TN’s growing economy. Public sector and cooperative banks are happy that lakhs of new savings accounts are being opened across the state.
The other welfare scheme that has drawn national attention is the pioneering breakfast programme for schoolchildren. The government has rolled it out to 31,000 government primary schools to benefit 17 lakh students. Special attention has been given to how the scheme is rolled out across the state and the balance of nutrition given. The scheme is another big step, along with the mid-day meal, in ensuring that hunger is not a barrier to education. Though the state government is vehemently opposed to the Centre’s New Education Policy, it had no qualms about implementing the breakfast scheme the policy suggested. New Delhi itself has not implemented the breakfast scheme or helped others do so.
These fund-guzzling welfare programmes enjoy tremendous public support and are a lure for other states to implement. But they are, perhaps, exemplars only for the financially sound states, not the economically fragile ones. Even for TN, whose outstanding debt has ballooned to Rs 7.54 lakh crore according to its 2022-23 budget estimates, these welfare schemes may mean that capital expenditure would need to be lowered if revenues do not increase. Replicating them in other states with an eye on the 2024 election may prove perilous if it’s not weighed against overall financial health.