Jayalalithaa swings into action, keeps 5 promises

Fulfilling five major promises made during her election campaign on the she assumed office, chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday announced shutting down of 500 Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) shops and reducing the working hours of the remaining liquor shops in Tamil Nadu. She also waived crop loans of farmers and announced 100 units of free power to consumers.

After being sworn in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu a record sixth time and all set for a fourth term in office, Ms Jayalalithaa drove straight to Fort St George, seat of the state government, and assumed office. She signed five files pertaining to waiving off farm loans, granting 100 units of free power to consumers, increase in allocation of gold for women, increased free power to weavers and reduction in the working hours of Tasmac.

Taking the first step towards her major poll promise of implementing staggered prohibition in the state, the chief minister announced that Tasmac shops would open at 12 noon instead of 10 am beginning Tuesday and that 500 liquor shops across the state would be closed.

The first file that Ms Jayalalithaa signed was the order pertaining to waiver of crop loans taken by farmers up to March 2016 from cooperative banks, which would cost the exchequer Rs 5,780 crore.

“The waiver includes crop loan, medium- and long-term loans of small and micro farmers payable to cooperative banks,” an official statement said, adding that providing 100 units of free power to every household would entail a financial burden of Rs 1,607 crore on the government.

The state government will pay the amount to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) The fourth file signed by Ms Jayalalithaa was regarding increasing gold allocation from 4 to 8 grams for women under the Thallikku Thangam Scheme (Gold for “Mangalsutra”). From now on beneficiaries will get eight grams of gold in addition to monetary assistance of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.

The chief minister also signed a file increasing the free power given to handloom weavers to 200 units and for power looms to 750 units.

Implementing prohibition in a staggered manner was one of the major poll promises of the chief minister, who during her election rallies said prohibition at one go was not possible in Tamil Nadu. Instead, she said her government would implement prohibition in phases and has taken the first step on Monday when signed the file regarding reduction of working hours of Tasmac and closing down of 500 shops.