Promises delivered and undelivered during 5 years of DMK government

A review of the DMK government's five-year performance on promises, highlighting fulfilled initiatives and unaddressed commitments.

In the past five years, the M.K. Stalin government had implemented several welfare schemes with far-reaching impact that helped uplift the lives of women as well as other sections.

It delivered on its key poll promises such as the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam that entitled 1.31 crore women heads of families to receive a monthly rights grant of ₹1,000 and the Vidiyal Payanam scheme allowing women to travel with ‘zero cost’ bus tickets in select routes.

At the same time, the government introduced schemes that did not figure in its manifesto. This included empowering schemes such as Pudhumai Penn, Tamil Pudhalvan, Naan Mudhalvan, Illam Thedi Kalvi, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, and Thayumanavar.

But how many of the 505 promises the DMK made in 2021 have been fulfilled? The party leaders have made varying claims about this in the past. Some leaders claimed 90% of them had been honoured.

However, earlier this month, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, officially, in the presence of the Chief Minister, announced 75% promises were either fulfilled or were being fulfilled.

As for the breakdown, he said 206 promises had been fulfilled, 170 were being implemented, and 32 were under the consideration of the State government, while 33 were pending with the Union government. As many as 20 promises were dropped “as not feasible”. The Minister, however, did not mention which of them were found unfeasible.