Surprise Move by Stalin: Rs 5,000 Transferred to Bank Accounts of 1.31 Crores Women  

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Even before many of them may have woken up in the morning, Rs 5,000 landed in the bank accounts of over 1.31 crores women family heads in poll-bound Tamil Nadu before 6 AM on Friday against the state government’s right grants in advance outsmarting the critics.

The announcement about the bonanza came much later from the Chef Minister Tamil Nadu. “Citing the election as a reason, they are attempting to block the rights assistance for three months. Our Dravidian Model government has moved ahead of them,” he wrote in a social media post. The announcement came only after the credit had been made. Politically, it was the equivalent of scoring before the field was set.

In a tightly sequenced move that left little room for bureaucratic interruption or political challenge, the Stalin government credited a total of Rs 6,550 crore into beneficiary accounts under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme — Rs 3,000 covering three months’ assistance (₹1,000 monthly rights grant for the month of February, advance disbursal of ₹2,000 for both the months of March and April), along with a “special summer assistance” component of ₹2,000. By the time opponents could react, the money was already there.

Mr Stalin justified the decision to advance the monthly grant for three months, alleging there were attempts by some to prevent its disbursal during the impending elections. “But this Dravidian model government has overcome it. This urimai thogai (rights grant) was an assurance made by Stalin to the women of Tamil Nadu. I will not step back, irrespective of whoever places obstacles,” Stalin said after the transfers were completed.

The sequence mattered. In recent weeks, there had been murmurs and reports that attempts might be made to halt the scheme for three months, citing the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the Assembly elections expected in April or May. Stalin addressed this directly.

Mr Stalin, who is also the president of the DMK, declared that the monthly grant for beneficiaries would be increased to ₹2,000 under the ‘Dravidian 2.0’ government, if his party is re-elected in the upcoming Assembly elections. Incidentally, the rival AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had also made similar promise last month if his party was voted to power.

The Chief Minister further expressed confidence that his party would win the election with the support of women. In a recorded video clip, Mr Stalin sought to explain the credit of ₹5,000 into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The KMUT scheme was launched in September, 2023 and 1.13 crore women were disbursed a sum of ₹1,000 each. The programme was since expanded to cover 1.31 crore women across the State, he said. “This is not just a grant but a recognition of these women’s contributions to society.”

The rights grant helped women handle their day-to-day expenses, family expenses, as well as education expenses of their children, he said. Even so, there was information that a conspiracy was being hatched to stop the disbursement of this grant for three months, citing elections, by a “group in Delhi and another group in Tamil Nadu, who were slaves to the Delhi group,” Mr Stalin said.

“There is information that a few are attempting to move the court… As someone from your family, I am aware as to what hardships you would undergo if the grant is suspended for three months. I can realise the pain you would undergo if the disbursement is suspended, especially during summer,” he said.

“How will you manage the monthly expenses? Can you get medicines for those in your family? When children are appearing for exams, can you spend for expenses incurred for their education? I have taken an important decision only after thinking through all of these,” Mr Stalin explained.

“I have issued orders for disbursing a special Magalir Urimai Thogai of ₹5,000, including the monthly grant of ₹1,000 for February, March, and April and a special summer aid of ₹2,000 to each of the 1.31 crore women. My request to you all is to be careful while spending this money, since this is for the next three months,” Mr Stalin said.

Expressing hope that his party would win in the ensuing Assembly elections with the support of women Mr Stalin announced: “In the Dravidian model of governance, the urimai thogai would be increased to ₹2,000. This is the assurance given by Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, who keeps his word.”

CPI (M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam welcomed the move. In a social media post, Mr Shanmugam said the disbursement of ₹5,000 to each of the beneficiaries was the talk across Tamil Nadu and he could realise the happiness it has brought the families of these beneficiaries. “The Chief Minister has given a sweet surprise as early as in the morning. We welcome this on behalf of the Communist Party of India (Marxist),” he said.

The opposition, however, strongly criticised the move. Mr Palaniswami, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, accused Mr Stalin of suffering from “the fear of election defeat.”  The DMK government, which did not implement the scheme of transferring ₹1,000 each to women for 28 months (after coming to power), was now giving a “special summer assistance” component of ₹2,000 for the summer. “Did 2024 and 2025 not have summer, Mr Stalin?” Mr Palaniswami wondered.

Having “made the State insecure” for women – from girls to senior citizens, will they (women) believe in this “patchwork” of providing “election time money?” Was this announcement not made out of “anxiety arising out of the exposure” being revealed by the AIADMK through its door-to-door campaign that every beneficiary-family had “lost at least ₹3,50,000,” while it had got only ₹34,000 from the State government since September 2023? Mr Palaniswami asked.

T.T.V. Dhinakaran, general secretary of the AIADMK’s ally Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, argued even if the DMK government gave ₹50,000 to women, it was a certainty that the party would lose in the poll. “Regardless of the announcements made out of fear, nothing is going to work with people of the State,” the AMMK leader said. On the Chief Minister’s poll promise of increasing the monthly monetary assistance to women heads of families to ₹2,000, Mr Dhinakaran called it an “act of cheating” and said the “hasty move” was made due to DMK’s “fear of defeat” and not out of “genuine concern” for women.

On Tamil social media, supporters called it “the match starting with a sixer by Stalin.” One said, “By the time the Opposition woke up, the match had already started.” Party handles circulated graphics of “Dravidian Model 2.0” and screenshots of bank alerts.

The timing of the bank transfer of the amount, February 13, was not incidental. In the political calendar, it precedes the likely enforcement of election codes. By clubbing three months’ instalments into a single disbursement, the government insulated the scheme from potential legal or administrative interruption.

Within the ruling DMK, the move is being described as both protective and expansive. Party insiders say the transfer is expected to generate “very positive feedback,” mobilise women voters between 30 and 70 years of age, and strengthen rural vote banks. It is also seen as a counterweight to anti-incumbency sentiment in pockets of the state. DMK strategists believe that there will be a positive opinion about DMK in every family.