On the occasion of the DMK government of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin stepping into its second year on Saturday, the State was richer by five new development schemes.
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Mr. Stalin made the announcements in the Assembly. The schemes are a free morning breakfast scheme for government school students, a scheme to eradicate nutrition deficiency, establishment of schools of excellence and primary health centres in urban areas and the expansion of ‘CM in Your Constituency’, a public grievances redress system, to all 234 constituencies.
Speaking under Rule 110, he said the free breakfast scheme was launched based on the available information that the government school children skip breakfast while going to school because of the distance and family situation. He said free breakfast would be provided to students of Classes 1-5 on all working days. In the first phase, the scheme would be launched in some Corporations, municipalities and villages. The scheme would be implemented through the local bodies and expanded to all parts of the State in phases, he said.
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Mr. Stalin said the second scheme was aimed at making Tamil Nadu free of nutrition deficiency. “After coming to power, we got worrying statistics that many children aged below 6 are nutritionally deficient. They are under-weight and height is not appropriate to their age. Based on this, we have planned the scheme under which we will put the children through medical tests,” he said. The Chief Minister said the government decided to provide medical assistance and nutrition to children based on their needs.
Mr. Stalin said the idea of schools of excellence came from his recent visit to Delhi. “During my visit, the Delhi Chief Minister explained the concept of ‘schools of excellence’. That time I said such schools must be established in Tamil Nadu. I am happy to inform you that schools of excellence will be established across the State,” he said.
Mr. Stalin said that in the first phase, 25 Corporation and Government Higher Secondary Schools would be upgraded as schools of excellence at a cost of ₹150 crore. The infrastructure in these schools would be upgraded. Besides the focus on learning, facilities would be created to enable students to learn music, culture and dance. “We would focus on helping students build multiple skills,” he said.
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The fourth announcement was the establishment of primary health centres in urban areas. “When people in the cities travel to government hospitals for their medical needs, these hospitals get crowded. In order to change this situation, a scheme for setting up a network similar to primary health centres is planned,” he said. In the first phase, 708 centres would be set up across 21 Corporations, including Chennai, and 63 municipalities. The centres would be opened in own buildings at a cost of ₹180.45 crore, Mr. Stalin said.
The outpatient services would be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Through this scheme Tamil Nadu would reach the goal of well being for all by 2030, Mr. Stalin said.
He said ‘CM in your Constituency’ would be extended to all 234 constituencies. Under the scheme, based on the recommendation of the legislators, the long-pending needs would be taken up and reviewed with the Collectors and officials concerned. In the next financial year, funds would be allocated for them on priority, Mr. Stalin said.
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Each legislator had to recommend 10 schemes to the Collector and the important among them would be implemented and ₹1,000 crore would be allocated this year, he added. Mr. Stalin further said the scheme would be directly monitored by him, and stressed that there would not be any discrimination among the constituencies.
Mr. Stalin said the State was in a financial stress and the Union government’s position in some matters held up the introduction of other major schemes. He added that 60%-70% of the DMK’s election promises had already been fulfilled and all the promises would be kept.
The AIADMK boycotted the proceedings.
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The Chief Minister also highlighted the achievements of the DMK government in its first year, including the free bus travel for women, Illam Thedi Kalvi, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, ₹4,000 in COVID-19 cash relief per family, jewel loan waiver, appointment of temple priests from all castes and ₹70,000 crore of investment commitments.
Mr. Stalin said the free bus travel for women had resulted in an average saving of ₹600-₹1,200 per woman, according to a survey. Responding to the critics of the government, he said their charge that the government was recycling old schemes as new ones was not true. He pointed to the reduction in petrol and milk prices, and the announcement of Social Justice and Equality Days that were new.
Mr. Stalin said his government operated on the Dravidian model and he would work towards achieving more by following the principles of Periyar, Anna, Karunanidhi and K. Anbazhagan.
Here are the five schemes announced by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin the T.N. Assembly:
Free breakfast for Class I-V government school children in a phased manner
Initiatives to eradicate nutrition deficiency
Setting up of Schools of Excellence
Setting up of primary healthcare-like centres in urban areas
Expanding the 'CM in Your Constituency' grievance redressal scheme to all 234 constituencies in the State