Ensure poor benefit from welfare schemes: Karunanidhi

CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Friday asked district collectors to ensure that the government’s various welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries and to complete the free distribution of colour television sets and construction of concrete houses for the poor.

Inaugurating the two day district collectors’ conference here, he said: “The free colour television scheme should be completed by this December and the conversion of 300,000 thatched huts to be converted into concrete houses by March next year.”

He said the government has procured 15.80 million colour television sets and has distributed 13.58 million of them.

Referring to the free conversion of thatched huts into concrete house scheme under the Kalaignar Housing Scheme, he said: “In this fiscal an amount of Rs.2,250 crore has been allocated for the scheme from the state’s own resources and the officials should accord priority in implementing the scheme.”

Noting the increased allocation from the state for the Indira Gandhi Housing Scheme, he asked the officials to ensure that scheme is also implemented efficiently.

He also asked the district collectors to ensure the one rupee per kilo rice and the subsidised food items reach the people effectively and also see that the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is implemented properly and wages distributed to the poor.