Chennai, Jun 1: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today launched her government's populist initiative of providing 20 kg of rice free of cost to all ration-card holders in the state.
The AIADMK supremo launched the scheme from a government-run outlet at Alwarpet here, keeping the promise made in her party's election manifesto for the April 13 polls.
Jayalalithaa handed over rice bags to some of the beneficiaries, marking the launch of the scheme. The new scheme will benefit more than 1.65 crore ration card holders in the state, the government said in a release, adding the Chief Minister also launched another scheme to provide 35 kg of rice free of cost per month to beneficiaries under the ‘Antyodaya Annayojana' scheme.
63-year-old Jayalalithaa who had resolved not to wear any ornaments since 1997, is now seen sporting a stud in her ears, prompting some journalists to ask at a press conference today if she had gone back on her vow. Jayalalalithaa had taken a vow not to wear ornaments when the then DMK government confiscated all her ornaments during investigation into cases relating to disproportionate wealth against her.
Jayalalithaa said that when the party started witnessing upward trends during the counting of votes in the recently held Assembly polls, many party workers requested her to wear ornaments and some of them had even threatened to commit self immolation if she did not wear ornaments.
“Many have died for the party but I did not want them to die on such a happy occasion. Therefore, I changed my mind,” she said. PTI
