Chennai, Aug 9 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, is set to introduce an innovative welfare program on August 12 that will facilitate the doorstep delivery of essential commodities to individuals aged over 70 and those with disabilities throughout the state.

This initiative, named the Thayumanavar scheme, seeks to assist vulnerable groups in acquiring their Public Distribution System (PDS) benefits without the hassle of visiting ration shops.

The initiative will encompass key commodities such as rice, sugar, wheat, palmolein oil, and toor dal, all of which are supplied under the PDS.

As per the data from the state government, Tamil Nadu has approximately 2.26 crore ration cards serving a population of about seven crore.

Among these, 16.73 lakh ration cards - benefiting around 21.7 lakh individuals - will be part of the Thayumanavar scheme. This includes 15.81 lakh family ration cards that have one or more elderly members, covering 20.42 lakh beneficiaries, along with 91,969 ration cards for households with one or more disabled members, aiding an additional 1.27 lakh people.

The Tamil Nadu government made the decision to roll out this initiative statewide earlier this year.

Under this scheme, personnel from the Co-operation Department, linked to corresponding ration shops, will deliver the essential goods on the second Saturday and Sunday of each month. Deliveries will be conducted using mini-vans and other vehicles that are equipped with point-of-sale (PoS) machines and weighing scales. Beneficiaries will obtain their items after validating their identity through Aadhaar at their doorstep.

This initiative is specifically designed to assist those who cannot independently access ration shops. It will provide substantial benefits to households where all members are over 70 years old, with no adults under 18, and to families where all members are disabled or where only one member is disabled without any other adult aged 18 or above.

Officials indicated that this scheme will not only enhance the quality of life for elderly and disabled individuals but also guarantee consistent access to their entitled PDS items. The state government anticipates that this monthly service will greatly boost convenience and food security for this demographic.