Karunanidhi launches Phase 3 of free CTV, gas stove scheme

Vellore, Feb 16 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today launched the third phase of free colour television distribution and the second phase of the free gas stoves with gas connections to poor families.

In the third phase, the government had decided to distribute 34.25 lakh colour television sets worth Rs 750 crore with Mr Karunanidhi launching the distribution of 10.53 lakh sets in this district at an official function here this evening.

The Chief Minister also launched the distribution of free gas stoves with gas connections to 5.83 lakh poor families.

The TV sets and gas stoves would be distributed to poor people in other parts of the State by Mr Karunanidhi's Ministerial colleagues tomorrow.

Mr Karunanidhi laid the foundation stone for a bridge across River Palar between Vellore and Katpadi and Thiruvalluvar University and distributed welfare assistance to the people.

Union Ministers T R Baalu and R Velu and State Ministers Arcot N Veerasamy, Duraimurugan, K Ponmudi, M R K Panneerselvam and E V Velu were among others who participated in the function.

After coming to power in May 2006, the DMK Government, as announced in the election manifesto, had launched the first phase of the distribution of free colour television sets on September 15 coinciding with the birth anniversary of Former Chief Minister C N Annadurai.

In the first phase, 30,000 sets were distributed, at a cost of Rs nine crore and in the second phase, launched in February last year, 25 lakh sets were given away, involving a cost of Rs 685 crore.

Similarly, the government had launched the distribution of free gas stoves with free gas connection on the occasion of Pongal Festival in January last year.

So far, the government had distributed free gas stoves with gas connections to 5.17 lakh families at a total cost of Rs 103 crore.

In the second phase, it proposed to distribute gas stoves to 5.83 lakh families at a cost of Rs 117 crore.

UNI XR/WS SJ GM GT KN1830