Free Covid treatment Stalin gets cracking as TN’s new CM
Tamil Nadu’s new chief minister M.K. Stalin, who was sworn in along with his ministers here on Friday, passed five orders relating to people’s welfare on his first day in office, thus setting in motion the process of delivering on the promises his DMK party made during the campaign, besides appointing a chief secretary and four secretaries in his office.
Paying relief of `2,000 as a first instalment to families holding ration cards, reducing the price of Aavin milk by `3 per litre, making travel free for women in city buses, launching a department to look into the complaints of people gathered during the campaign and providing insurance cover for those taking treatment in private hospitals were the orders passed.
All the measures were promised to the electorate as part of the DMK’s manifesto. Family card holders will be paid `2,000 now as part of the `4,000 payment to ameliorate their livelihood problems wrought by the continuing coronavirus crisis.
Aavin milk, produced by the government milk cooperative, will cost Rs 3 less from May 16, thus lessening the financial burden of families and all women, those working and studying included, would be able to travel free of cost in ordinary fare city buses all over the state from Saturday.
For the newly launched department, “chief minister in your constituency”, which will address the grievances of the people, received through complaints dropped in the boxes kept at various places across the state during the “Stalin in your
constituency” campaign, Shilpa Prabakar Satish was appointed as special officer.
The department, coming directly under the CM, will make efforts to solve the problems of the people within 100 days. Mr Stalin had assured people that their grievances would be redressed in 100 days after he took office when collecting the complaints.
The fifth order passed related to the government settling the medical bills of people undergoing treatment for Covid-19 under the Tamil Nadu Government Insurance Scheme. This would help those going to private hospitals during the pandemic.
Besides these orders, the appointment of a new chief secretary for the state and four secretaries to the CM’s office were also issued. Transferring Rajeev Ranjan out to Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper Ltd as chairman and managing director, the government named V. Irai Anbu as the new chief secretary. Mr Irai Anbu, who was earlier additional chief secretary and director of Anna Institute of Management and director-general of training, took charge immediately and attended the meeting presided over by the chief minister in the evening to discuss the Covid-19 situation with the district collectors through video conferencing.