Chennai, Mar 21 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin today informed the State Assembly that the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Memorial Marriage Assistance Scheme was transformed as the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme that offers Rs 1,000 assistance for girls students to ensure that they get permanent asset called education and to increase their enrollment in higher education. Intervening during the budget debate and responding to remarks by an Opposition AIADMK member that the ruling DMK had shelved the scheme because it was launched by late leader J Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister said before a girl attains the marriage age, she has to be given an asset called education to ensure they have adequate educational qualifications and the transformed financial assistance scheme was part of girl rights policy. Stating that under the marriage assistance scheme one lakh women were benefitted per year, he said this Rs 1,000 assistance per month for girl students, who had studied in government schools from classes 6 to 12, was being given till they complete their UG degree of diploma courses. He said six lakh girl students will be benefitted by this scheme under which Rs 1,000 will be deposited into their bank accounts and it will also improve the enrollment ratio of girls. “Hence, I request all the members to welcome this scheme without any party differences”, Stalin said. He said the marriage assistance scheme was started in 1989 with an assistance of Rs 5,000 and it was incerased to Rs 25,000 in 2009. The AIADMK regime, which had initially dropped the scheme, later understood its importance and re-introduced the scheme after it came to power in May 2011 with an enhanced assistance of Rs 50,000. From 2016 onwards this scheme was being implemented by providing gold for thali (mangalsutra) from four gms to eight grams. When the representations received during the previous AIADMK regime were scrutinised now, only 24.5 per cent people were found to be the real beneficiaries. Moreover, the CAG has found various shortcomings in implementing the scheme and 43 people, who had involved in irregularities in it, were arrested and cases registered against them by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. Since the enrollment ratio of girl students in higher education was a mere 46 per cent, the scheme was transformed with Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme. It may be recalled that Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, while presenting the budget for the year 2022-23 on March 18, had announced that all girl students, who studied from Classes 6 to 12 in Government schools, will be paid Rs.1,000 per month directly into their bank account till the nterrupted completion of their undergraduate degree, diploma and ITI courses under the remoulded Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage Assistance scheme. He said the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage Assistance scheme was started in 1989 by late leader M karunanidhi to promote education and to support marriage of girls from poor families. In line with the changing times, it is necessary to remould this scheme to promote higher education among girls belonging to the economically weaker families. Recognizing that the enrollment ratio of girl students from Government schools in higher education is very low, the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Memorial Marriage Assistance Scheme is being transformed as the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme. GV 1838
