Erode (East) bypoll | Announcement on financial aid for women heads of families in next month’s budget: CM Stalin

CM M.K. Stalin was campaigning for Congress candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan in Erode, for Monday’s bypoll; he accused the AIADMK of leaving the State in unprecedented debt; he assured residents that all the DMK’s poll promises would be fulfilled this year

On Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the Erode East bypoll, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that an announcement regarding the provision of a monthly honorarium of ₹1,000 for women heads of families, would be made in next month’s State budget.

Campaigning for Congress candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan at Sampath Nagar, the CM said that the DMK had fulfilled 85% of its poll promises, and had five years to fulfill all its promises. “But we don’t need that much time as all other promises will be fulfilled by the end of this year,” he said.

Speaking about the Opposition, Mr. Stalin said, “AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami keeps saying that we have done nothing in two years [since the DMK came to power]. But the AIADMK not only left the treasury empty, it also left the State in unprecedented debt.” The government is trying to improve the financial situation of the State, and the announcement about the monthly honorarium will be made in the budget. “We will do what we said we would do. Also, we will do what we did not say we would do,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Stalin said that people voted for the DMK with trust and confidence, and listed out various schemes implemented over the past two years. Free bus travel for women in government buses and the breakfast scheme for children in government schools were not implemented in any other State in the country, he pointed out.

During former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran’s rule, farmers had staged a massive protest demanding reduction of the power tariff by one paise. “But, when M. Karunanidhi came to power in 1989, without any representation from farmers or others, he announced a free power scheme for farmers,” Mr. Stalin said, said and added that 1.5 lakh free power connections were given to farmers over the past one-and-half-years in the State.

The CM said that though the government had sent two anti-NEET Bills to Governor R.N. Ravi, neither the Governor nor the Union Government was doing anything about it. “I want to bring the law [against NEET] during my rule and we are taking all the necessary steps towards this,” he said.

Mr. Stalin also asked residents to see this not as a mere byelection, but as a “weighing election.” “Do think about whether we have fulfilled our promises, weigh this up, and cast your votes,” he said, adding that he wanted the AIADMK candidate to lose his election deposit.