CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced a comprehensive CM’s Farmer Security Scheme which will provide financial aid to the families of farm labourers as well as the small and marginal farmers between the age group of 18 and 65 at every stage of life— from womb to tomb. Maternity assistance, educational assistance, marriage assistance, old age pension and financial assistance in case of death are some of the salient features of this scheme. Besides, the beneficiary can get the educational and marriage assistance under the scheme even if he or she gets similar assistance from some other schemes.A high-level panel will be formed to monitor the implementation of the scheme. At the district-level, it will be implemented by the Collector and officials of Revenue Department, the CM said, making a suo motu statement in the State Assembly.She said that it was during her tenure as the CM in 1995 that the Farmers Security Scheme was implemented. Later, the DMK regime replaced the scheme with the Social Security Scheme for Farmers. As the legislation was fraught with practical difficulties, the Act was repealed on August 27. Small and marginal farmers in the age group of 18 and 65 who own 2.5 acres of wet land or five acres of dry land and are involved in agricultural activities directly in their land, lessees of lands in the age group of 18 and 65 involved in agriculture-related activities or labourers and families of these persons would be benefited by this scheme, the CM said.Under the scheme implemented by the DMK regime, ID cards were given only to the head of the family. But in the new scheme, IDs would be given to all members of the family. While husband and wife involved in agriculture would be given ID cards in maroon colour while their dependants would be issued with ash colour cards.The beneficiaries can get an assistance of Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,950 per annum for taking up courses like ITI, polytechnic and diploma courses while an assistance of Rs 1,750 to Rs 2,500 per year would be given for undergraduate courses. Similarly, for PG courses, the assistance would be between Rs 2,250 and Rs 3,750 per annum. For under graduate professional courses like law, engineering, medical and agriculture, Rs 2,250 to Rs 4,750 would be given while Rs 4,250 and Rs 6,750 would be given for PG courses. Marriage assistance of Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 would be given to men and women under the new scheme and maternity assistance to women would be extended through a special tahsildar. Indigent farmers and farm labourers above the age of 60 would get an assistance of Rs 1,000 per month. Under the DMK’s scheme, financial aid was provided only to the head of the family in case of his death. But in the new scheme, it would be given to both husband and wife. Similarly, unlike earlier, assistance would now be given to all the family members.
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