CHENNAI: A day after she inspired and moved the gathering by recalling the struggles that her family faced and her father’s resolve to ensure that she got educated despite the hardships, Prema, a young beneficiary of the State’s “Naan Mudhalvan” scheme, got a new house under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam (Kalaignar’s Dream Home) scheme.

Announcing that a house would be built for her under the scheme, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said Prema would no longer have to worry about the leaking roof of her family’s home. “Despite widespread opposition, your father ensured that you got educated. You gave him your first month’s salary with joy. I am delighted to sanction a new house for the father who fulfilled your dream,” he said.

Speaking at the ‘Tamil Nadu Excels in Education’ event on Thursday, Prema, a college graduate, recalled the hardships of growing up in a leaking tiled house. “My parents struggled all their lives. Even while I stayed in the hostel, I worried whenever it rained. I wanted to build a good house for them,” she said.

In the event, her father, who faced criticism for educating a girl child, said, “Many told me not to educate a girl. But I believed she must stand on her own. Today I am proud.”

Visuals of their speeches went viral across the State on Friday, with many hailing her as a symbol of inspiration.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said Prema embodied the achievements of the Dravidian model government. “She moved us when she handed her first salary to her father,” he said.