Income ceiling raised for marriage aid schemes

Goes up from Rs.24,000 to Rs.72,000

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday increased the annual family income ceiling to make Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Ninaivu Marriage Assistance Scheme and E.V.R.Maniammaiyar Ninaivu Poor Widow Daughter’s Marriage Assistance Scheme accessible to more families.

The ceiling has been enhanced from Rs.24,000 to Rs.72,000, according to an official release.

The Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Ninaivu Marriage Assistance Scheme, one of the five such schemes of the State government, is to help economically poor parents in getting their daughters married. It is also to promote the educational status of poor girls.

Under the scheme, after the present AIADMK government came to power in May 2011, a four-gram gold coin is given in additional to the financial assistance of Rs.25,000 and Rs.50,000. The amount varies depending on the educational qualification of the girls.

As the name suggests, the E.V.R.Maniammaiyar Ninaivu Poor Widow Daughter’s Marriage Assistance Scheme is to help poor widows get their daughters married.

Nutritious Meal Programme

As the State government has decided to introduce more food items under the PT MGR Nutritious Meal Programme, Ms.Jayalalithaa also ordered purchase of additional utensils for the centres where food is cooked. For 3,969 centres, the State government would procure the utensils at a cost of Rs.22.23 lakh, the release said.