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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a series of welfare measures for women on Monday (August 24), including financial assistance for three cooking gas cylinders a year, expanded free travel for women on government buses and the cancellation of the proposed Parandur airport project near Chennai.
Under the ‘Annapoorni Super Six’ scheme, the cost of three cooking gas cylinders a year will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. The scheme is expected to be launched from next year’s Pongal festival.
Around 13 million families are expected to benefit from the programme, which could cost more than Rs4,000 crore annually.
Families with an annual income of up to Rs250,000, small and marginal farmers, and households with members with disabilities will be eligible for the benefit. Beneficiaries will initially purchase the gas cylinders and receive the money directly in their bank accounts after submitting proof of purchase.
The move is expected to provide significant relief to low-income families by reducing their cooking fuel expenses.
The government has also expanded free public transport facilities for women. While women already travel free on ordinary government buses in the state, from October 2 they will also be able to travel free on various categories of government buses, including express and luxury services. There will be no limit on the number of journeys.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay announced the cancellation of the proposed airport project at Parandur, which was planned as Chennai’s second airport.
He said the project would have affected large areas of agricultural land and negatively impacted the livelihoods of farmers and local residents. Although Chennai needs a new airport, he said the government would look for an alternative site that would minimise damage to farmland and residential areas.
The decisions on cooking gas assistance, expanded free public transport for women and cancellation of the Parandur airport project have been described as major people-oriented measures by the Vijay government.
The government said the decisions were aimed at fulfilling electoral pledges while reducing the everyday expenses of ordinary people.
