The Tamil Nadu government has tweaked the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme to ensure that any delay on the part of the Union government in the disbursal of funds does not affect its implementation. From now on, the scheme will be implemented in three instalments as against five, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Tuesday.
Since 2018, assistance to the tune of ₹18,000 (₹14,000 in cash and nutrition kits worth ₹4,000) has been granted to pregnant women under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme-Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). The State’s share is ₹15,000 and the Union government’s ₹3,000.
The scheme was implemented in five instalments after 2018. The first instalment of ₹2,000 was payable during the third month of pregnancy, the second instalment of ₹2,000 in the fourth month of pregnancy, the third instalment of ₹4,000 after delivery, the fourth instalment of ₹4,000 three months after childbirth and the final instalment of ₹2,000 when the child was nine months of age, along with two nutrition kits worth ₹4,000, the Minister said at the launch of the modified scheme. “When the two schemes were integrated, a different system of preparing the beneficiary list came into place. As a result, in the last one or two years, there were small delays in disbursing the first instalment. We took up the issue continuously with the Union government. In Tamil Nadu, the Health Department is running the scheme, while the Women and Child Development Department is in charge of it at the Centre. So, several meetings were convened in Delhi to facilitate coordination between the two departments and to do away with the contradictions in the two portals. A solution was arrived at last week,” he explained.
Noting that certain modifications were made to the scheme to prevent difficulties to the beneficiaries, Mr. Subramanian said that instead of five instalments, the assistance would be paid in three instalments from now — ₹4,000 in the fourth month of pregnancy, ₹4,000 after delivery and ₹6,000 four months after delivery. The two nutrition kits would be provided during the first and second instalments.
“Earlier, we could release the assistance of ₹15,000 only after getting the Union government’s share of ₹3,000. Now, thanks to the modifications, even if the Union government delays releasing its share, the State government can release its share of ₹15,000 — ₹11,000 in cash and nutrition kits worth ₹4,000. From now, there can be no delay in implementing the scheme,” he said.
He added that there were eligible persons who had applied and were waiting to be covered under the scheme. “We are preparing a list of eligible persons who have applied and will grant the assistance in phases. Today, we are extending the assistance to 1,06,766 beneficiaries. Funds to the tune of ₹44.05 crore have been released for the scheme,” he said.
Since the scheme was launched in 2006, 1,16,95,973 persons have benefited at a cost of ₹10,529.57 crore.
Camps to be held
The Minister said special enrolment camps under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Scheme would be held in 100 Assembly constituencies on November 18.
Among others, Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Mission Director of National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, Shilpa Prabhakar Satish and Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam were present.
Published - November 08, 2023 12:40 am IST
