CHENNAI: Social security schemes are one of the landmark achievements of the present AIADMK government. On September 10 last year, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced a comprehensive Chief Minister’s Farmer Security Scheme which will provide financial assistance to the families of farm labourers as well as small and marginal farmers between the age group of 18 and 65. Maternity assistance, educational assistance, marriage assistance, old age pension and financial assistance in case of death of the beneficiary are some of the salient features of this scheme.
Besides, the beneficiary can get educational and marriage loans under the scheme even if he or she gets similar assistance from some other schemes of the government.
As many as 1.40 crore people have been enumerated for maroon colour identity card for the members of the Scheme and 1.22 crore persons have been enumerated for grey colour identity card for the dependents of the members. `190.17 crores has been disbursed to 2,69,486 beneficiaries so far.
A huge allocation of `30,331 crore has been made for social security net and various other welfare schemes in the budget for the year 2012-13.
The allocation of `3,820 crore for social security pension schemes, `2,000 crore for free distribution of wet-grinders, mixies and electric fans, `1,500 crore for laptops to students, `750 crore for various marriage assistance schemes and `720 crore for Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy maternity assistance schemes were some of the measures announced.
As many as 26,41,121 beneficiaries are given assistance under various social security schemes.
The break-up of number of beneficiaries are:
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (12,04,245), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (45,180), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (3,35,103), Destitute Differently-abled Pension Scheme (1,33,188), Destitute Widows Pension Scheme (4,24,367),Destitute/Deserted Wives Pension Scheme (1,20,849), pension to unmarried, poor, incapacitated women of age 50 years and above (16,768) and Destitute Agricultural Labourers Pension Scheme (3,61,421).
Disbursement of social security pensions through banks using biometric smart cards is another measure of the AIADMK government aimed at avoiding any irregularity. Its beneficiaries can get their pension at their doorsteps.
In the first phase, the scheme was implemented in the villages - Thovalai, Samudram and Udayarkudi in the districts of Kanyakumari, Tiruchy and Cuddalore respectively. Under the new system, all the beneficiaries would be helped to open bank accounts.
The banks, after taking their finger prints, would issue them biometric smart cards. Banking correspondents will carry an equipment with GPRS connection to the houses of the beneficiaries. They need to swipe their smart card and the fingerprints to ensure the identify the genuine beneficiary and only then the monthly pension would be issued.
On January 2012, the CM extended the scheme to 4,385 villages, where the population exceeded 2,000, across the state.