678 college girl students receive monthly assistance in first phase in Erode

Of the total 3,276 college girl students, who have applied to receive monthly assistance of ₹ 1,000 under the Puthumai Pen Thittam, 678 students of various colleges received the assistance in the first phase here on Monday.

Under the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme that was launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, girl students who have pursued classes VI to XII in government schools and have joined colleges are eligible to apply for the scheme.

In the first phase, 678 students of nine colleges in the district received their assistance from the Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy and Collector H. Krishnanunni at a function held at Kongu Engineering College at Perundurai here. Mayor S. Nagarathinam, MLAs A.G. Venkatachalam (Anthiyur) and E. Thirumahan Evera (Erode East), Deputy Mayor V. Selvaraj, District Revenue Officer S. Santhoshini Chandran, L. Madhubalan, Additional Collector (Development) and Project Director of District Rural Development Agency Project, S. Shanmugavadivu, District Social Welfare Officer and others were present.

Savings bank accounts were opened for the students and debit cards were handed over to the beneficiaries during the function. Officials said that other beneficiaries will be covered in a phased manner in the coming days.