According to the state government, Chief Minister S Joseph Vijay has directed officials to ensure the ₹1,000 monthly entitlement under the scheme is transferred at the earliest to eligible women beneficiaries.
The assistance is provided under the Kalaignar Women’s Entitlement Assistance Scheme, a welfare initiative under which eligible women receive ₹1,000 per month as direct financial support.
However, the government said it requires additional time to “restructure” the scheme, which has led to a delay in the May instalment. Officials said the restructuring is aimed at improving implementation and ensuring smoother and more efficient fund transfers going forward.
The delay has drawn criticism from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin, who accused the Vijay-led administration of backtracking on welfare commitments.
In a post on X, Stalin questioned the delay in an already existing welfare scheme and demanded clarity on the proposed restructuring. He said the May payout, typically credited on the 15th, had not been processed on time and asked why the government was altering the scheme’s functioning.
The controversy comes amid the broader political context following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in which Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member House, falling short of the majority mark of 118.
Chief Minister Vijay’s party subsequently formed a post-poll coalition with the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML, securing a working majority and forming the state government after a closely contested verdict.
