Madurai, Sep 28 (IANS) Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is scheduled to launch the Thai Maman Gold Ring scheme at Government Rajaji Hospital here on Monday, fulfilling a campaign promise to give a one-gram gold ring to every child born in a Tamil Nadu government hospital.
The government has said the benefit will apply to children born with effect from June 22, 2026. For the first phase, it has procured 1.28 lakh rings, including 6,400 earmarked for the Madurai district.
Arrangements have been made at 107 hospitals across the state to store the rings securely and distribute them to eligible families.
The scheme will begin in all districts except Chengalpattu and Tiruppur, where by-elections are scheduled for October 6. These districts include the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies, respectively.
At Monday’s function, CM Vijay is expected to present rings to 25 babies born at other government hospitals in Madurai district. He will then visit the hospital’s maternity ward to give rings to 10 newborns there.
Officials have informed the parents of the children selected for the Chief Minister’s presentation. CM Vijay is also expected to meet expectant mothers and women receiving postnatal care.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to reach Madurai by private aircraft at around 11 a.m. After a reception at the airport, he is likely to travel in an open vehicle through Perungudi, Mandela Nagar, Chinthamani, the Ring Road roundabout and Karuppayurani on his way to the hospital.
Barricades have been installed along the route, and security has been tightened for the visit.
CM Vijay is expected to arrive at Government Rajaji Hospital around noon, where he will inaugurate the scheme at a function in its conference hall. Hospital buildings have been repainted and the conference hall decorated ahead of the event.
Officials said preparations for the ceremony were completed on Sunday night. This will be Vijay’s first visit to Madurai since taking office as Chief Minister.
After the hospital programme, he is scheduled to visit the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum before going to the government guest house for lunch. The programme marks the public launch of a scheme for which the government has set an earlier eligibility date. Hospital authorities will oversee the distribution of rings to qualifying families after the inaugural ceremony.
–IANS
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