Women who recently delivered in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu have alleged that they are being made to travel with their newborns to collect benefits under the ‘Thay Maman Gold Ring’ scheme.
The scheme was announced after the T.Ve.K. government took charge, with the stated aim of increasing institutional deliveries in government hospitals. Though Chief Minister Vijay launched the programme on September 28, the government had said all babies born from June 22 would be eligible.
As per the plan, gold rings are to be distributed to about 1.07 lakh children, with around 100 rings being issued daily. However, beneficiaries claim the process is forcing mothers to make repeated trips and wait for long hours.
Affected women said officials insist that the baby must be brought in person to receive the ring. Many families travel 30–40 km by bus in the heat, and after reaching the venue, they have to wait without basic facilities such as a place to feed the child.
They urged the government to allow distribution based on hospital delivery records and other eligibility documents, without requiring the infant’s physical presence. Health department officials, however, said the baby must be present because the handover is recorded on video, adding that the inconvenience would last only for a few months.
