Free schemes pave way for social, economic development: PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan

MADURAI: The free schemes by the Tamil Nadu government, which many continue to claim are regressive, are really schemes for social justice and economic development and has put the state above northern states on these two criteria, said minister for finance PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan.
He was speaking at the function organised by the Social Welfare Scheme to distribute benefits to women under the Thalikku Thangam Scheme in Madurai on Sunday, in the presence of minister for commercial taxes P Moorthy.As many as 548 beneficiaries from the city, Madurai East, Madurai West, Usilampatti, Sedappati, Melur, Kottampatti, Alanganallur, Thiruparankundram and Vadipatti received 8g of gold each.
Gold worth 1.99 crore, weighing 4.38kg, was given to the beneficiaries. He said that the basic policy of the dravidian movement was equality in education, wealth and job opportunities for women. “The communities which gave equal opportunities to women across the globe prospered,” he said
“In 1920, the Neethi Katchi which was the pillar of the Dravidian movement made it possible for women to vote and also have the right to primary education. Whenever the Dravidian parties came to power in the state, they have strived to take development of women to the next stage. Women have also been given representation in the election process. In Tamil Nadu, there are no girls under the age of 18 today who are illiterate. But, in the northern states only 30% of the girls below the age of 18 are educated,” he said.
“The average per capita income of a person in Tamil Nadu is 2.5 lakh, whereas in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh it does not exceed 75,000, he said. This is the reason why schemes like the Thalikku Thangam are implemented in the state,” he said. “It was suspended for sometime for want of gold, but Chief Minister M K Stalin took steps to ensure that it continued without delay and now it is being given again,” he said.
“Many continue to say that the free schemes of the Tamil Nadu government are regressive. But, these are not just free schemes, they are those for social justice and economic development,” he said. It is through these schemes that Tamil Nadu excels above the northern states in social justice, he said, adding that the DMK government will strive to make these schemes even better.