COIMBATORE/ TIRUCHY/ MADURAI/ VELLORE: Hundreds of women across the state thronged their respective district collectorates on Saturday to submit their applications for getting Rs 1,000 per month under the ‘Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai’ scheme, following rumours on social media that a three-day special enrolment camp starting August 17 will be held.
In Coimbatore, many women, mostly from rural areas, who visited the collectorate were upset after coming to know that it was a rumour.
As more women started pouring in, the officials alerted the police who then deployed their personnel and sent the women back after explaining to them that it was a rumour.
“We are waiting to enrol in the scheme as our application was rejected for not submitting proper documents. Most of us received messages on WhatsApp from unknown phone numbers. We have asked the police and officials at the collectorate to at least initiate action against those who spread the rumours and caused inconvenience to us,” said K Shanthi from Pappampatti.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore city police have initiated a probe against those who spread the rumour on social media.
An official from the district administration in Coimbatore said financial eligibility for enrolling as beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam has already been announced.
“Several conditions have been laid down, including that none of the family members should be income tax payers. Those who meet the economic criteria notified by the government are included as beneficiaries in the scheme. About 1.15 crore people have been enrolled so far. Another 1.48 lakh were added recently. If we conduct such camps, it will definitely be announced by the district administration properly,” he said.
At Tiruchy collectorate, a woman who arrived from KK Nagar said hundreds of women would not have thronged the collectorate had the officials had announced earlier that the information circulating on WhatsApp is false.
Despite a press statement by the Madurai district collector MS Sangeetha, informing the public about the fake message circulating in WhatsApp and asking them not to believe it, many women thronged the collectorate.
Theni and Dindigul district collectorates also witnessed more than hundred women turning up.
Over 60 women gathered in front of the Villupuram collectorate on Saturday morning. Similar incidents occurred in Kallakurichi and Cuddalore as well.