Budget will tell when women will get Rs 1000: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: The quibble over the non-implementation of the scheme to give monthly assistance of Rs 1000 for women as promised in the DMK’s election manifesto of 2021, which echoed in hustings for the Erode East by-election with opposition leaders raising it repeatedly as a ruse, formed a part of Chief Minister M K Stalin’s campaign on Saturday when he said the date for introducing the measure would be known during the Budget presentation in the second week of March. On a whirlwind tour of the constituency on the last day of campaigning, Stalin made brief stopovers to address the crowds that had gathered at various places when he spoke on a wide range of issues concerning Erode in particular and the State in general and reminded them the Congress candidate, E V K S Elangovan, for whom he was seeking votes, was a descendant of the family of Periyar E V Ramasamy. Speaking at a point near Agraharam, he said that the DMK had always been in favour of minorities and explained how the 3 per cent exclusive reservation within the quota for Scheduled Castes for the Arunthathiyar community had helped many students get admission to professional colleges. Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman, too, campaigned on the last day though the Election Commission officials had earlier exhorted him to not continue with the electioneering after a clash between his party workers and DMK campaigners.