Chennai, 13 Feb

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said the state government has deposited Rs 5,000 each to 1.31 crore women beneficiaries of the government's women entitlement scheme. 

Also, he announced to double the monthly grant to Rs 2,000 if his DMK party was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election.

Noting that Rs 5,000 has been directly deposited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Women's Entitlement scheme, he said, "You would have received Rs 5,000 this morning. I have decided to provide the sum in view of an attempt (by vested interests) to freeze the scheme, citing upcoming elections."

So, to counter the move to prevent the women from receiving the monthly financial assistance due to them, he had decided to provide the sum for three months from February and, in addition, provide Rs 2,000 to meet their expenses during summer, he said in a video message posted on his social media platform 'X.'

"Further, the monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 will be increased to Rs 2,000 once the DMK returns to power this year," Stalin said in the message.

"I appeal to the sisters to judiciously utilise the amount for the expenses towards the education needs of your children, buying medicine or other essentials that are required," Stalin, who is the president of the DMK, said, and exuded confidence that his party would return to power.