Days after the ruling DMK promised either a mixie or a grinder to women, the AIADMK on Thursday promised a fan, a mixie and a grinder as freebies to all women in the State in its election manifesto.
“It is not ‘either/ or'; a beneficiary will get all the three,” AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa clarified after releasing her party's manifesto here on Thursday. Four grams of gold, in addition to Rs. 25,000 as marriage assistance (Rs. 50,000 and four grams of gold for beneficiaries holding a diploma or degree), six months of maternity leave along with Rs.12,000 assistance and bank loan to a maximum of Rs.10 lakh linked with 25 per cent subsidy component for self-help groups figure in the schemes pertaining to women.
Ms. Jayalalithaa unveiled a ‘Green Houses' scheme under which houses powered by solar energy would be given to families below the poverty line. For the landless poor, three cents of land will be provided free for construction of houses. A school student will receive four sets of uniform and a pair of shoes free of cost. To prevent dropouts, students at the higher secondary level will be provided with scholarships ranging from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000. All students in arts and science colleges, engineering colleges and polytechnics will be provided with laptops free of cost, she promised.
Announcing the introduction of hospitals on wheels in rural areas, Ms. Jayalalithaa said 1,500 villages will be provided with 24-hour telemedicine centres.
By 2013, 5,000 MW of additional power will be generated and all households in rural and urban areas will get three-phase connection.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said her regime will provide 20 kg rice free of cost to all family cardholders and 20 litres of purified drinking water a month to all BPL families.
