• Source:JND
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Chennai News: Approximately 1.27 lakh women beneficiaries have been removed from the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme since its launch in September last year. The majority of these removals were due to the death of the beneficiaries, while a smaller number were disqualified for various reasons, including family members purchasing vehicles, acquiring land, obtaining government jobs, or filing income tax returns that exceed the annual income limit of Rs 2.5 lakh.

As of October 31, the total number of beneficiaries in the KMUT scheme has decreased to 1.14 crore from 1.15 crore, according to official data obtained by TNIE through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Unlike pensioners from state and central governments, women heads of families receiving Rs 1,000 cash assistance under the KMUT scheme are not required to submit life certificates every year.

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According to The Indian Express report, the updates to the beneficiary records were based on the Civil Registration System (CRS) database, which tracks births and deaths in Tamil Nadu through Aadhaar. Officials from the Special Programme Implementation department, which manages the KMUT scheme, stated that CRS data is used monthly to identify deceased beneficiaries. Since 2022, Tamil Nadu has recorded an average of 58,000 deaths per month.

A senior official explained that the CRS data is sent to the revenue department for field verification, which then recommends the removal of deceased beneficiaries' names. Most removals are attributed to death, with only a small number disqualified for reasons such as increased income or asset acquisitions.

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The monitoring of beneficiary bank accounts, including transactions for land registration, income tax returns and vehicle registrations, is conducted digitally each month by the social security commissionerate before fund transfers. In October, Rs 1,140 crore was disbursed under the scheme. This digital system, linked to Aadhaar and other credentials, is supported by the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency.