CHENNAI: MK Stalin signed off on five key announcements on his first day as CM, a little while after assuming office on Friday.
The announcements are to provide Rs 2,000 as corona relief in the first phase to all ration cardholders in the state at the cost of Rs 4,153.39 crores. A total of 2.07 crores ration cardholders will benefit.
There is further good news with the price of Aavin milk, produced by the state dairy corporation, being cut by Rs three per litre. This reduction will come into force on May 16.
The fulfilment of another poll promise sees all women becoming eligible for free travel in ordinary-fare buses run by the public transport corporations within cities from May 8. The extra Rs 1200-crore burden this will place on the corporations will be refunded by the state government.
In another significant announcement, Stalin has also declared that the state government will foot the medical bills of those undergoing treatment at private hospitals for Coronavirus under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
He has also announced the creation of a separate department to address the grievances of the general public, who handed over lakhs of petitions to him during his election campaign. The department will take steps to address these petitions within 100 days.
Apart from paying the medical bills of coronavirus patients, the four other announcements were DMK’s poll promises.
Earlier, before arriving at the secretariat, the Chief Minister visited the memorials of former Chief Ministers and DMK’s foremost leaders CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi and paid floral tributes. He also paid his respects to social reformer Thanthai Periyar.