Tamil Nadu CM launches free colour TV scheme

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday launched the free distribution of colour television sets to poor households at a village in Kancheepuram district, near Chennai, fulfilling the DMK’s key election promise. The current year’s budget has a provision of Rs 750 crore for distributing 25 lakh sets.

Chief minister M Karunanidhi launched the scheme at a function attended by leaders of his poll allies. The government on Friday initially distributed 25,245 colour TV sets to the residents of Thundalkazhani village in Padappai in Kanchipuram District.

Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot), the nodal agency in charge of the scheme, bought 30,000 TV sets for Rs 9 crore from three companies — Videocon, Kitchen Appliances and Dixon Technologies — through a national competitive bidding.

The give-away also to coincided with the 98th birth anniversary of party founder C N Annadurai. The government would start distribution of free land to the poor in two days to mark the birth anniversary of dravidian leader EVR Periyar.