Chennai: Looking back at his three years of rule in the State, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that he had earned the respect and love of the people who had come to believe that ‘Stalin means action’ and were praising him from the depth of their hearts for all the good things that had happened to them.
Starting his fourth year in office on Tuesday by paying tributes at the decorated memorials of DMK founder C N Annadurai and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Stalin released a video message in which he quoted beneficiaries of the various schemes launched by his government to drive home the point that his consistent action had brought happiness to people .
A woman called Stalin as her son as he had given her financial support through the scheme providing Rs 1000 as ‘right assistance’ to women, which stood them in goodstead whether they went to work or not and whether their children supported them or not, he said.
Referring to the women Self Help Group’s progress, a member says that though their income otherwise hovered between Rs 4000 and Rs 5000 a month, each of them made an easy Rs 15,000, adding that their lives had progressed because of the SHG activities in the present regime.
The interest charged for the loans up to Rs one lakh was less than elsewhere and if the loans were cleared on time without any lapse, they were offered another loan and the money due to them was credited in the bank accounts without fail, Stalin quotes the woman.
Sitting on the window seat of the government bus, a woman regularly thanked the Chief Minister for coming up with a scheme to make bus travel free for women by thinking like a mother and the gratitude came from the depth of her heart, he said.
A daughter who always played truant to eat was now relishing the breakfast served at school, a woman testified, adding that the children loved the millet dishes that were also healthy with more nutritional value.
Talking about loan facility for women starting new venue, a woman auto rickshaw driver was happy that she had become owner of the business initiative after slogging as a worker for years and a girl who lost her father when she was in Class 12 is thankful for the Naan Mudhalvan scheme that prepares students for higher education and better jobs.
The ‘Friends Hostel’ scheme for working women was seen as godsend by the young woman who said that the facility helped dispelled the fears of parent who were apprehensive about the safety of their daughter when they took up jobs far away even if they reluctantly agreed to the idea of women going for work.
The Pudhumai Penn scheme, under which girls from government schools who pursue higher education get Rs 1000 as assistance every month, had helped the student to groom herself better since she was aware of the sacrifices made by her father in educating her through school.
A transgender is grateful that the house built on a three cent plot, under the programme to provide welfare assistance had given her the dignity she strove for and a woman who was issued a new ration card with her name as the head of the family in just five minutes after she had languished without any identity proof for years since her former husband walked away with all the documents, leaving her in the lurch.
A person with disability was thrilled over the construction of a wooden ramp on the Marina for people like them to reach the sea. It was a dream come true for them after they had longed to dip their legs in the sea while passing through the beach road for years.
The testimonials went to prove that it was the people’s government that was in power, Stalin said and pledged to continue in the same path in the years to come.
