A student from an interior village in Marungapuri block in the district was the cynosure of all eyes at a function held here on Sunday to mark the distribution of assistance among the weaker sections.
S. Pandiselvam who secured 489 in the SSLC examination and stood third among the Government schools in the district, was honoured with a house-site patta, a cash award of Rs. 10,000, and free admission at a private school near Kallathanpaptti, an interior village near Marungapuri in the district. He received a family card on the occasion.
Minister for Tourism Vellamandi N. Natarajan gave away the ration card, patta, and cash award to the boy. He said this was his first function after being elected an MLA. He said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was implementing various schemes for the welfare of the weaker sections.
K.S. Palanisamy, District Collector, said shortly after realising the needs of Pandiselvam, the district administration sanctioned the house site patta of three cents in the village near his house. A sum of Rs. 10,000 was sanctioned from the District Welfare Committee.
“On coming to know that his family does not have a ration card, immediate arrangements were made for issuing the same on priority,” he said. The student’s mother Tamilselvi told the media that her son got offers from seven higher secondary schools for pursuing his plus one course. He had chosen Vivekananda Vidyalaya in Putuhur near Vellakovil for pursuing the Plus One course. She said she needed more assistance as two of her children were mentally-ill. Her husband, an agricultural labourer, was indisposed.
Mr. Natarajan distributed assistance to other weaker sections totalling Rs. 64.78 lakh to 386 beneficiaries.
C. Valarmathi, Minister for Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, was present.
