Marriage assistance scheme to be launched on June 3:Karunanidhi

Chennai, May 30 (UNI) In all 33,333 poor girls in Tamil Nadu will be given Rs 15,000 each under the marriage assistance scheme to be launched on June three Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced today.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, he said in the first year 33,333 poor girls will be given the assistance under the scheme, one of the major promises made in the DMK poll manifesto. The assistance has been hiked from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.

The scheme will certainly and definitely be launched and 33,333 girls will be covered in the first year, he added.

Mr Karunanidhi said of the 122 promises made in the poll manifesto, which was described as the ''hero of the elections'' by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the Governor's address covered about 68 announcements. The remaining promises would be fulfilled in a phased manner, he added.

The DMK's promise of hiking the marriage assistance to Rs 15,000 generated much heat in the run up to the May eight Assembly polls, with the AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa countering it with the announcement of half a sovereign free gold to poor girls for making 'Thali' at the time of marriage.

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