Chennai, July 5 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Social Welfare and Women’s Rights Minister Jagatheeswari on Sunday said the state government is working to increase the monthly women’s entitlement assistance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500, while assuring that the revised benefit would be extended to all eligible beneficiaries across the state.

In remarks at an eye screening camp organised in Rajapalayam to mark Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s birthday, the minister said the government remained committed to fulfilling its promises and ensuring that welfare schemes reached every deserving woman in Tamil Nadu.

Jagatheeswari said the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government was functioning solely for the welfare of the people and reiterated the Chief Minister’s commitment to running a corruption-free administration.

“There will not be even one per cent corruption in the TVK government,” she said, appealing to the public to report any instance in which government officials demand money for providing public services.

“If any official seeks a bribe from the public, inform us immediately. If the complaint is found to be genuine, strict action will be taken without delay,” she said, adding that public cooperation was essential to realise the Chief Minister’s vision of establishing a completely corruption-free government.

Referring to the Women’s Rights Entitlement Scheme, Jagatheeswari said the government was currently disbursing Rs 1,000 every month to eligible women without interruption. At the same time, preparations were underway to enhance the monthly assistance to Rs 2,500.

She assured beneficiaries that the government would honour its commitment and that eligible women would receive the enhanced financial assistance once the process was completed.

The minister said the government had received a large number of fresh applications from women who had failed to receive the benefit after applying during the previous administration. According to her, several eligible applicants had been left out, while there were also instances in which the same individual had submitted multiple applications.

She said the government was undertaking a comprehensive verification exercise to identify duplicate applications, rectify discrepancies, and ensure that only genuine beneficiaries were included under the scheme.

Jagatheeswari added that the verification process was aimed at implementing the Women’s Rights Entitlement Scheme in a transparent and inclusive manner so that every eligible woman in Tamil Nadu could benefit from it. Urging the public to remain patient, the minister reiterated that, as promised by Chief Minister Vijay, the monthly assistance would be increased to Rs 2,500 after the ongoing verification and implementation process was completed.

–IANS

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