CHENNAI: Sure one can't buy love, but nobody said anything about votes! Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is on a full freebie spree as the state Assembly elections come closer by the day. Hundred units of free power for households every two months, 50 per cent subsidy for women to buy scooters, free laptops with Internet for students in Class 11 and Class 12, eight grams of gold for women getting married, free cellphones for all ration-card holders, are just some of the things beloved Amma has unveiled for her people.
With her focus on women and economically weaker sections, the CM's campaigning is in full swing. Addressing a mass gathering of over 100,000 in Perundurai, Erode, Jaya said, “I am made of people and I am for the people. A mother knows the need of her children. You will be getting many more schemes and services during my government.” She appealed the public to bring her party back to power saying it would be the “arrival of spring”. The AIADMK manifesto was made with the consultation of a number of experts and includes extended maternity leave from six to nine months, women to be trained in driving vehicles and offered subsidies to buy autorickshaws. It includes a hike to Rs 50,000 as assistance for fishermen and their families.
The manifesto also promises to take measures to increase the maximum water level, from 142 feet to 152 feet, of the Mullaperiyar Dam, basically a lifeline for farmers in the Vaigai basin bordering Kerala and is the subject of a long-running dispute with the neighbouring state.
