The announcements were made during the party’s International Women’s Day celebrations in Mamallapuram, a coastal heritage town near Chennai.
Photo: IANS
Actor-turned-politician Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), on Saturday unveiled a fresh set of welfare promises including ₹2,500 monthly assistance for women heads of households, eight grams of gold for women’s marriages, and six free LPG cylinders annually, if his party comes to power.
The announcements were made during the party’s International Women’s Day celebrations in Mamallapuram, a coastal heritage town near Chennai.
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Under the proposed “Mathippuru Women’s Scheme”, women heads of households up to the age of 60—excluding government employees—would receive ₹2,500 per month, Vijay said.
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The party also promised six free LPG cylinders per year under the “Annpoorani Scheme”, and eight grams of gold for women at the time of marriage through the “Annan Seer Scheme.”
The ₹2,500 monthly assistance is an enhanced version of the ₹1,000 monthly aid currently provided by the government led by M. K. Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and higher than the ₹2,000 assistance earlier promised by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The eight grams of gold for marriages expands on the earlier half-sovereign gold scheme introduced during AIADMK governments.
To reduce school dropouts, Vijay also proposed the “Kamaraj Educational Assurance Scheme,” named after former Congress leader K. Kamaraj, under which ₹15,000 annually would be provided to mothers or guardians of students studying from Classes I to XII.
The TVK chief also announced the “Vettri Travel Scheme,” which would allow free bus travel for women in all state-run buses, expanding on the current free travel facility in city buses introduced by the DMK government.
On women’s safety, Vijay pledged zero tolerance for crimes against women and proposed the creation of a 500-member “Rani Velu Nachiyar Brigade,” named after the historic queen Velu Nachiyar, to patrol public spaces in civil dress with body cameras.
He also promised fast-track courts named after freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal to expedite cases related to crimes against women.
Additional measures include installing smart panic buttons in all public transport vehicles, connected to command centres aimed at providing response within five minutes, and distributing free sanitary pads through schools and the public distribution system.
Vijay said the schemes could be implemented if corruption and misuse of public funds were curbed. Referring to the state’s estimated ₹4.39 lakh crore budget, he alleged that a significant portion of public funds was lost to corruption under the present government, a charge rejected earlier by the ruling DMK.
Touching briefly on personal controversies without naming them, Vijay told supporters that he was aware of attempts to target him politically but urged them to stay focused on issues affecting the public.
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