Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday announced that the monthly assistance given to differently-abled persons would be hiked to ₹2,000 from ₹1,500.

He said there was a request to increase the assistance from those who were suffering from severe and multiple disabilities, muscular dystrophy, severe intellectual and disabilities caused by leprosy. “It will benefit a total of 2,06,254 persons and the increase will cost the government an additional ₹123.75 crore,” he said. Responding to the request of VCK floor leader Chinthanaiselvan, the Chief Minister also announced that the contribution of from the SCs/STs to the Namakku Naame scheme would hereafter be one-fifth instead of one-third.