AIADMK irked by DMK’s form for ‘Rs 1,000 dole’

AIADMK cadre were irked as the rival DMK men after the recent announcement of Chief Minister MK Stalin had allegedly printed forms locally for the scheme of providing Rs 1,000 to housewives in a bid to win women voters over.

Sources said that the form, which carried a picture of Stalin on the top left, read that it was an application to get Rs 1,000 government largess. The heading had only the ration shop number without the statutory government emblem.

The one-page form sought details of the families and  the applicant’s bank account number and also the BPL (below poverty line) number if he/she fell in that category.

Officials were tight-lipped when asked about the veracity of the form. Regarding the official process, they said, “when government largesse is distributed to cardholders through fair price shops (FPS), the practice is that the shop staff will distribute tokens and ask beneficiaries to come on a specific date to collect their benefits.”

They also added that the CM had only announced the payment’s roll-out shortly without the specifics being fixed. But, what galled some cardholders, who spoke to this reporter without revealing names was that the lower portion of the form had a place where somebody (read party functionary) had to recommend the beneficiary to get the benefit.

“We know that this is a strategy by local DMK men to garner votes,” Sarala (name changed) of old town stated. Also, none of the forms had the name of the printer and phone/mobile number which is mandatory. Distribution of forms kicked up a row in Chetpet in Tiruvannamalai district as the AIADMK cadre blocked the junction of four roads demanding action till police intervened.

Vellore urban district secretary SRK Appu said that similar efforts by DMK cadre in Vellore town “were prevented by the AIADMK men.”