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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman being received by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at the Raj Nivas on Friday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The All India N. R Congress-led National Democratic Alliance government in the Union Territory has decided on a high-profile launch of its welfare programmes, during the one-day visit of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Friday.
Mrs. Sitharaman, who is on a day’s visit to Puducherry to attend the Credit Outreach Program organized by the Indian Bank and State Level Bankers’ Committee, is likely to launch the Puducherry government’s scheme to provide a subsidy of ₹300 per month for 12 LPG cylinders in a year. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, in his annual budget, had set aside ₹126 crore to implement the scheme this financial year.
The government will also re-launch a much broader version of its scheme to provide financial aid of ₹1,000 per month for women heads of BPL families. The proposal to provide this to women in the 21-25 age group who are not covered by other welfare schemes, was also announced by Mr. Rangasamy in the budget. After the scheme’s launch three months ago, the government had decided to widen it to include more beneficiaries. The re-launch, after the alteration of the beneficiary criteria, would bring in around 75,000 women into the social security net, a top government source told The Hindu.
Another pet scheme of the NDA government towards providing social security cover for girl children would also be launched by the Finance Minister during her visit.. Under the Chief Minister’s girl child protection scheme, ₹50,000 is to be deposited for 18 years under the names of newborn baby girls in nationalized banks, the source said.
“We are using the Finance Minister’s visit to launch the welfare programs of the government. The Chief Minister will also take up specific fiscal needs of the UT during a review meeting chaired by the Finance Minister,” said a ruling party member.
CM receives FM
Ms Sitharaman reached Puducherry around 11.15 am on Friday. She was received by Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy at the Raj Nivas. She is to head to the Chief Secretariat around noon for the review meeting.
The inauguration of the schemes will be at the Credit Outreach Programme, scheduled to be held at the Tagore Arts College grounds around 3 pm At the outreach programme, Ms. Sitharaman will disburse loan assistance to several beneficiaries under various Central government programmes.
