KANCHEEPURAM: Weeks after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched the gold ‘thaali’ scheme, a couple here became its first beneficiary on Sunday when their marriage was solomnised in the presence of a clutch of officials, including district collector Sivashanmugaraja. In all, eight couples got 4 gm gold mangalsutra each as gift plus a marriage assistance of `25,000 from the government on Sunday, but seven of them had married between June 8 and June 20.It was S Srividya and P Nagarajan’s wedding that was graced by officials here on Sunday. The wedding was organised by the CPM’s Nathampettai branch. The groom, Nagaraj, works at the CPM-dominated Kamatchi Silk Cooperative Society, one of the very few profitable societies in town. CPM’s State executive committee member and Chidambaram CPM MLA K Balakrishnan were also present to bless the gold scheme. Jayalalithaa launched the gold for “Thirumangalyam” scheme in Chennai on June 6, and around 1.60 lakh girls are expected to be benefited from the scheme at an estimated cost of `600 crore.District social welfare officer Devi Kumari, who was at the wedding, told Express that the State Government had already allotted `9.16 crore under the general category (excluding the Dalit girls), and another `4,60,50,000 under the special category for marriage assistance scheme. About 3,538 eligible girls in the district who got married in the recent years until March 31, 2011, have not been paid their marriage assistance of `25,000 announced by the previous government, explained Kumari. It is not clear if the present government would reimburse the amount to those married before the present government took office.Other officials present at the wedding ceremony were RDO Dr R Veerappan and AIADMK MLA Walajabad Ganeshan.
Comments
0 comment