TN Govt to increase financial help for widow re-marriage

Chennai, July 16 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government today announced increase in financial assistance given under the Widow Marriage Assistance scheme from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, after a review meeting, directed the Social Welfare Department to hike the assitance given to poor widows under three schemes named after E V R Mani Ammaiyar, Annai Teresa and Dr Dharmambal for their re-marriage on the lines of Rs 15,000 given under the Ramaamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage assistance scheme.

This would cost the exchequer an additional expense of Rs 1.75 crore a year, an official release here said.

Under the Ramaamirtham Ammaiyar marriage assistance scheme, 45,999 poor girls were given assitance to the tune of Rs 69 crore last year, the release said adding, this year, 50,000 girls would be given a total assistance of Rs 75 crore.

Mr Karunanidhi ordered release of assistance to all those, who have applied under the Marriage Assistance scheme and under the Widow Marraiage Assistance schemes, the release said.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the schemes implemented by the Social Welfare and Noon-meal scheme departments, also ordered opening of centres in all the 30 district headquarters to take care of mentally retarded children upto six years of age, it said.

The Chief Minister, while congratulating the officials for successfuly running ten centres for deaf children, directed the authorities to open 20 more such centres in district headquarters, the release said.

Mr Karunanidhi sanctioned Rs one crore, in addition to the Rs one crore, already released for providing gas connection and pressure cooker for noon-meal centres, functioning under the Integrated Child Development scheme, the release added.

UNI