Tamil Nadu government has allotted Rs 204 crore towards the implementation of enhanced gold scheme under a marriage assistance programme. Rs 204 crore has been allotted for ‘Thaaliku Thangam’ (Gold for Mangalsutra) scheme for the year 2016-17 to benefit 12,500 women

The scheme involves providing marriage assistance and gold for daughters of poor parents and widows among others to make ‘thaali.’ Assistance of Rs 25,000 for beneficiaries who have passed Class X and Rs 50,000 to those with an undergraduate degree or diploma is also given as part of the scheme.

The ruling AIADMK had proposed providing gold free of cost to beneficiaries during the 2011 elections where Jayalalithaa promised 4 gm of the precious metal and assured to enhance it to 8 gm during this year’s Assembly polls.

She launched the scheme in Chennai by giving away gold coins, each weighing 8 gm, to five beneficiaries hailing from her Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency and Kancheepuram. While 12,500 women who had applied for the scheme after May 23, 2016 will be provided with 8 gm of gold this year, about 1.4 lakh others who had applied earlier will be provided with 4 gm.