Subsidy for women to buy two-wheelers to be hiked: TN Guv

Tamil Nadu government has decided to enhance the subsidy ceiling for women beneficiaries to buy two-wheelers, Governor Banwarilal Purohit said today.

In his customary address to the assembly, Purohit said it has been decided to hike the subsidy ceiling to Rs 25,000 from Rs 20,000 which was announced earlier.

Following his mentor late J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister K Palaniswami had announced a 50-cent subsidy to women beneficiaries to buy two-wheelers on February 20 last year when he took over the reins of the State.

Free housing for fishermen and increase in dole for the unemployed youth were among Palaniswami's other initiatives on the day he took over.
 

During the run up to the 2016 Assembly election, Jayalalithaa promised to provide working women 50 per cent subsidy to buy scooters/mopeds.

Purohit lauded the state for providing an effective social security net covering vulnerable sections including women, children and the differently-abled.

He said the government will also continue to implement other welfare schemes.

Such schemes include nutritious variety meal to all school-going children, financial assistance for marriages of women beneficiaries and the cradle baby scheme in aid of abandoned children.

A Bill to replace the "Tamil Nadu Business Facilitation Ordinance 2017" will be introduced in the current session of the House, Purohit said.

"The state government is committed to improving the ease of doing business in Tamil Nadu and as a first step towards honouring this commitment, a Bill (to replace the TNBF Ordinance) will be introduced," he said.

The ordinance was promulgated on 28 October 2017.

An online single window clearance portal was unveiled by Chief Minister Palaniswami on 2 November last year which enables investors to obtain all requisite clearances and renewals from 11 departments, he said.

"The Business Facilitation Act, when enacted will further strengthen the Single Window Clearance System by stipulating timeline for approval and providing deemed approval for certain clearances."

Recalling the first Global Investors Meet held by late Jayalalithaa in 2015, the governor said 61 projects that will generate "96,341 jobs with a total investment of Rs 62,738 crore are presently under implementation."

Government was actively pursuing the remaining project proposals by providing facilitation services to the investors through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau.