PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced in the Assembly on Tuesday that the subsidy given to beneficiaries of the Kamaraj Housing scheme has been hiked to Rs 5 lakh. While wrapping up the debate on the demands for grants to departments looked after by him, he said that the beneficiaries would also get Rs 5 lakh additionally under a central government housing scheme. In all, each beneficiary would get Rs 10 lakh. The purpose of granting the subsidy is to replace huts with concrete structures. The scheme is named after the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu K Kamaraj. The Chief Minister also announced that the monthly assistance given to retired reporters would be increased from the present Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and that press persons currently working would be issued free laptops. House sites would also be distributed to journalists who have not been covered under the scheme so far. He said a few more reporters have applied for monthly pension and this would be sanctioned soon.