Puducherry AIADMK's Anbazhagan criticises govt for unfulfilled welfare promises
PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry AIADMK State Secretary A Anbazhagan has lashed out at the territorial government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, accusing it of resorting to populist measures without the financial wherewithal to implement them. He alleged that the administration was attempting to woo voters ahead of the elections while leaving deep-rooted administrative inefficiencies unaddressed.
Speaking to reporters, Anbazhagan said several welfare measures announced during the recent budget session — targeting the poor, middle class, and student community — had yet to take off. 'The government has not even begun distributing application forms for some of these schemes,' he claimed.
Among the major announcements were the proposed enhancement of monthly assistance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 for nearly 70,000 below-poverty-line families, which would entail an annual outlay of Rs 126 crore. Another key promise was Rs 1,000 monthly support to approximately one lakh women not currently covered under existing welfare schemes, requiring Rs 120 crore annually. However, Anbazhagan contended that none of these proposals had moved beyond the announcement stage.
He also flagged the government's promise to increase old age pension assistance by Rs 500 for 1.81 lakh beneficiaries — including widows, the elderly, and the destitute — which would cost the exchequer Rs 108.6 crore per year. Enhancements in educational support for children of fishermen and the differently-abled, as well as increased assistance for marriages and funerals, would altogether push annual expenditure up by nearly Rs 400 crore, he said, adding that no corresponding budgetary allocation had been made.
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