Tamil Nadu elections: CM MK Stalin counters EPS’s fridge promise with Rs 8k for non-tax paying women

CHENNAI: DMK’s poll manifesto, released by chief minister M KStalin on Sunday, promised to double the monthly dole for women to Rs 2,000 and a Rs 8,000 coupon for them to buy household articles, seeking to counter AIADMK’s promise of free refrigerators.

Under the scheme titled ‘Illatharasi,’ a household which doesn’t fall under the ambit of income tax, will be given a coupon for Rs8,000 to either purchase new or exchange household items such as washing machines, TVs, refrigerators, mixies, microwave ovens or induction stoves.





Another key promise was free motor pumpsets for farmers. Taking forward his father M Karunanidhi’s move to provide free electricity to farmers, Stalin announced that modern electric pumpsets without meters would be given free to more than 20 lakh farmers.

“The poll manifesto is the superstar for this election. It is the hero and heroine of the election,” Stalin told reporters after releasing the manifesto with 515 promises at DMK headquarters here. The manifesto appeared to enlarge the scope of govt’s existing programmes even as it made new promises. The free breakfast scheme would be extended up to Class VIII and the monthly assistance under Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thittam would be enhanced to Rs 2,000, he said.

The manifesto sought to balance larger development agenda with social engineering. It had a mix of welfare measures and DMK’s vision for Tamil Nadu’s growth in various sectors over the next five years.

Stalin said foreign direct investment (FDI) will grow to Rs 18 lakh crore in the next five years. Through this, 50 lakh more jobs would be generated, he added.

DMK also set an ambitious target of increasing exports to 120 billion dollars, from the 52 billion dollars in 2024-25. The target is more than double the existing numbers. Exports in the information technology sector will be increased from Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs5 lakh crore in the next five years, he said.

For fishermen, he said the monthly assistance will be hiked from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 during the fishing ban period.

DMK dropped its earlier promise of seeking exemption from NEET but has said it will seek exemption from all entrance examinations conducted by the Union govt.

Additional thrust has been given to artificial intelligence (AI) in Tamil development for developing large language models, and Tamil AI fellowships will be implemented.