Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday launched the 'Thaimaman Thanga Modhiram' scheme for newborn babies at the government-run Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. Under this scheme, eligible newborn children will be given a ring of one gram of 22 carat gold. The government has set an annual budget of Rs 755.83 crore for the scheme.
Children born after June 22 will get benefits
The benefit of the scheme will be available to eligible children born in government hospitals of Tamil Nadu on or after June 22, 2026. For this, it is necessary for the child's mother to be a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu.
The government has purchased about 1.28 lakh gold rings for the initial phase. Each ring is 22 karat gold. The objective of the scheme is said to be to honor motherhood, promote women's health and encourage institutional delivery in government hospitals.
The plan was included as an election promise
This scheme of giving gold rings was included in the election promises of Vijay's party. The government has now started implementing it across the state. The Chief Minister launched the scheme by giving rings to the beneficiary children in Madurai.
What is the objective of the government scheme?
According to the state government, the aim of this initiative is not only to provide economic benefits but also to promote women's health and government health services. The government says that encouraging deliveries in government hospitals will increase access of more families to maternal and child health services.
During his visit to Madurai, Chief Minister Vijay also inaugurated the Gandhi Memorial Museum. After this he was scheduled to visit Shri Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple. In view of the Chief Minister's visit, elaborate security arrangements were made in the city.