Over 6,600 educated women given ‘gold for making thali’

Social Welfare Minister P. Valarmathi launching the free gold scheme for women for the current fiscal on Friday. Photo: Special Arrangement

Gold weighing 26.460 kg was disbursed to beneficiaries under the State government’s 4 gm gold scheme for educated women on marriage, here in the district. Cash disbursements of Rs. 33.66 crore were made under the scheme. Over 6,615 women had benefited from the free gold scheme in the last fiscal here.

Launching the free gold scheme for educated, poor women on marriage, Minister for Social Welfare P. Valarmathi said the scheme was conceived to encourage families to educate their girls and increase their self-worth. The scheme had made tangible difference to the lives of poor women and has given them a sense of dignity, the Minister said. 

The current fiscal envisages a targeted 2,049 beneficiaries to benefit under the scheme. This would entail 8.196 kg gold and Rs. 8.78 crore disbursements under the scheme. 

According to the Minister for Fisheries K.A. Jayapal, families had been encouraged to educate their girls and at the same time ensure some form of asset for women at the time of marriage. 

The event witnessed disbursements of fixed deposit cheques on their maturity to children orphaned by tsunami. 

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Source:  http://to.ly/mgRD