CHENNAI: Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan made it clear on Friday that the Rs 1,000 honorarium, one of the DMK’s election promises, is only for women from poor households.
The government is formulating the criteria by which eligible households can be identified, the finance minister added while presenting the State budget. Thiaga Rajan justified the decision saying that when the government paid Rs 4,000 to all rice card-holders as Covid 19 relief, litigations were filed against the universal payment as it benefitted the well-off and the salaried.
According to official sources, however, the government was forced to clarify its position in this regard after there was a flood of applications for new ration cards and change of family head to women members. Officials from the civil supplies and consumer protection department said that applications for new cards are on the rise ever since cash assistance was introduced two years ago during Pongal. “But the applications increased steeply after the DMK returned to power,” said an official.
On March 7, during an election rally in Tiruchy, DMK chief M K Stalin promised that, if the party was voted to power, Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium would be given to women heads of households with ration cards. Within a few days, the AIADMK in its election manifesto promised to give a similar financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to women heads of households. Both the parties, however, did not explain how they would meet the financial requirement for implementing the scheme.
After being elected to power, the DMK has been targeted by opposition parties over its election promises. The AIADMK dubbed the White Paper an attempt to evade poll promises. According to official data, the State has 2.17 crore ration cards, of which 1.1 crore are Priority Households (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojan (AAY) cards given to people living Below Poverty Line (BPL) as per norms prescribed in National Food Security Act.
“Paying Rs 1,000 to each of the households a month may cost the exchequer around Rs 12,120 crore per annum. Given that there are statutorily mandatory schemes for eligible population at State and Central levels, only by diverting funds can the scheme be implemented,” said a senior official. Releasing the White Paper, Thiagarajan had hinted at increasing the power tariff and bus fare; no such announcement, however, was made.
Beneficiaries of National Food Security Act
According to the Act, grain would be subsidised to the below categories
Got any money?
On March 7, Stalin promised that, if the party was voted to power, Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium would be given to women heads of households
Within a few days, the AIADMK in its election manifesto promised to give a similar financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to such women. Both, however, did not explain the means to do it
Rs 12,120 estimated cost to the exchequer a year if the DMK’s scheme is implemented
Total number of ration cards 2.17 cr
Priority Households (PHH) 92 lakhs
PHH - Antyodaya Anna Yojan (AAY) 18 lakhs
A definite burden
Though a welcome move, the plan may put additional burden on State