Chennai, Sep 15 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Friday launched Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thittam (Kalaignar Women's Rights Grant Scheme) in Kanchipuram under which women heads of the family will be provided Rs 1,000 per month.

CM Stalin also distributed ATM cards to the beneficiaries of the scheme.

The scheme was launched on the occasion of birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and DMK founder Anna Durai.

The scheme is a pre-poll assurance and one of the main promises made in the manifesto of DMK party.

The government had received more than 1.63 crore applications of which 1.6 crore are eligible. A sum of Rs 12,000 crore has been allocated for it by the government.

According to the state government, eligibility criteria of the scheme is: The family income of the beneficiary should be below Rs 2.5 lakh, must not own above five acres of wet land and 10 acres of dry land and of electricity of the family has to be less than 3,600 units. The family can nominate one of the woman member as the beneficiary.