CHENNAI: About 1.27 lakh women beneficiaries have been removed from the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme, which was launched in September last year.
While the majority of them were removed due to being dead, a small number were disqualified for reasons such as family members purchasing vehicles like cars or jeeps, acquiring land, securing government jobs or filing income tax returns that exceed the prescribed annual income limit of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Following updation, the total number of beneficiaries under the KMUT scheme - as of October 31 - has dropped to 1.14 crore from 1.15 crore previously, as per official data obtained by TNIE through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Unlike pensioners from state and union governments, women heads of families receiving the `1,000 cash assistance under the scheme are not required to submit life certificates every 12 months.
Updation of records was based on the Civil Registration System (CRS) database, which tracks births and deaths in the state using Aadhaar. Officials from the Special Programme Implementation department, which oversees the KMUT scheme, said the CRS data is used to identify deceased beneficiaries every month. On average, 58,000 deaths have been registered in Tamil Nadu per month since 2022.
A senior official explained that CRS data is forwarded to the revenue department for field verification, which then recommends the removal of names of deceased beneficiaries. The official added that most deletions are due to the beneficiaries being dead, with only a negligible number disqualified for reasons such as increased income, land purchases or government jobs.
Beneficiary bank accounts, along with transactions involving land registration, income tax returns and vehicle registrations (monitored via the Vahan portal) are digitally monitored on a monthly basis by the social security commissionerate before funds are transferred. In October, `1,140 crore was disbursed under the scheme. This digital monitoring system, linked to Aadhaar and other credentials, is supported by the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency.
Officials highlighted that eligibility criteria for KMUT benefits are dynamic and require regular updates. The digital surveillance system ensures efficient and effective implementation of the scheme.
As per government guidelines, beneficiaries' family landholdings should not exceed five acres of wetland or 10 acres of dryland. Their annual income should fall below `2.5 lakh, and they should not possess cars, tractors or similar vehicles. Additionally, business establishments with an annual turnover exceeding `50 lakh or paying Goods and Services Tax (GST), as well as households consuming more than 3,600 units of electricity per annum, are also ineligible.