Shortly after taking over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa on Monday implemented her major poll promises of rice to ration card holders and BPL families, gold mangalsutra for girls getting married and carried out a major shake-up in the state police set-up.
She ordered distribution of 20 kg free rice per month to ration card holders and 35 kg of rice to BPL families.
Old-age pension has been doubled from Rs 500, maternity leave for government staff hiked to six months from three months and financial assistance to fishermen during fishing ban period raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs.2,000 as Jayalalithaa signed relevant files soon after being sworn in.
She also hiked the marriage assistance for poor people from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. In a war of freebies, both All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had announced a slew of populist measures in their manifestos ranging from providing rice to mixers and mineral water and laptops.
Jayalalithaa said she was serious in fulfilling the poll promises and has created a new ministry 'Special Programme Implementation' for this.
Apart from implementation of poll pledges, Jayalalithaa effected appointed J K Tripathy as Chennai city police commissioner, shunting out incumbent T Rajendran.
In her election campaign for the assembly elections, Jayalalithaa had attacked DMK rule over "deteriorating" law and order and a day ahead of her swearing in as chief minister, she had declared that her first priority would be to restore law and order.
Rajendran has been posted as ADGP, Prisons, an official press release said.
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