Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces MLA perks and health insurance hike

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced several major welfare and administrative measures in the State Legislative Assembly. Key public welfare initiatives include a five-fold increase in the annual coverage of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, raising it from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh. Additionally, the government has allocated ₹351 crore to expand medical and healthcare admission capacity, creating over 6,000 new seats.

For the state's 234 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), the Chief Minister announced a logistical support package. This includes providing government vehicles for constituency work, a monthly allowance of ₹75,000 for driver salaries and vehicle maintenance, and ₹25,000 per month to hire administrative assistants.

The Assembly also saw political tension when Forest Minister RV Ranjith Kumar referred to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi by name without customary honorifics. This breach of tradition prompted protests from DMK members, leading Chief Minister Vijay to intervene and apologize on the minister's behalf to restore decorum. Furthermore, Vijay indicated that files regarding alleged irregularities in three departments under the previous DMK administration are currently under his review and will be made public when appropriate.