J Jayalalithaa, one of the most influential political leaders of all times, has passed away on the midnight of Monday at 11.30 PM. For everyone else, she may be a Chief Minister of state or a great politician but for the people of Tamil Nadu, she was their Amma, a motherly figure who always took care of their needs and tried to solve their problems in the best possible manner.
Here are those eight achievements which turned J Jayalalithaa into Amma for common people:
1. Amma Canteen
Amma canteen has played a very big role in the success of Amma. This is a chain of canteens which provide food to people at very low rates and it is not only for poor people, it is open for everyone. These canteens were started by Jayalalithaa in 2013 and there are 200 such canteens in Tamil Nadu as of now. Curd rice and Sambhar rice can be bought here at a meager price of Rs. 3 and if a person wants to eat chapatti, then 2 chapattis and dal can also be purchased for Rs. 3.
2. Encounter Of Veerappan
Veerappan was a cruel Indian dacoit who was active for nearly 30 years and used to operate from the forests of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He was encountered in the year 2004 and Jayalalithaa was the CM of Tamil Nadu at that time. After Veerappan’s encounter, people started considering her “Saviour of Tamil Nadu.”
3. Cradle Baby Scheme
In 1992, Jayalalithaa started Cradle Baby Scheme which was an attempt to stop female foeticide. These centers were made in many districts where people used to leave their new born baby girls. These centers were equipped with life-saving drugs, gas connections and many other facilities. This scheme became very popular and people considered it as a gift from Amma.
4. Free electricity and laptops
Jayalalithaa used to distribute free gifts to people before every election and this time also, AIADMK promised to give job to one person from each family. Promise was also made to give free laptop to 11th and 12th standard students along with an announcement of giving every house 100 units of electricity free.
5. Amma Salt
No meal is complete without salt and Amma considered it as a necessity, so she decided to sell salt at a low price. This salt was made by Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation and it was sold at a lesser rate in comparison to salt of other companies.
6. Industrialization
Amma also boosted the industrialization of the state by inviting auto giants to invest in the state and as a result, Chennai has been called “Detroit of Asia” for more than 20 years now. The industrialization got a much needed boost when US car major Ford invested in Chennai in 1995 which can easily be referred to as a major investment received by the country after liberalization in 1991.
7. Amma Mineral Water and Cement
Amma canteens used to serve the hungry but what about those who are thirsty. Amma came up with Amma Kudineer (water) in 2013. Packaged water bottles were sold at a lower rate of Rs. 10 per litre while the same quantity of water is sold in rest of India at a price of Rs. 20. Not only this, she cemented her place in Tamil Nadu politics by providing cement at a subsidized rate of Rs. 190 for 50 Kg bag while it can be purchased for Rs. 320-Rs. 360 for same quantity in other states.
8. Amma Freebies & Amma Pharmacies
The foremost products which were distributed by Amma as freebies were grinders and fans and till date, they are most widely distributed.
When the prices of drugs touched the sky, Amma came to the rescue of poor people when she launched ten “Amma” pharmacies in 2014. These 10 pharmacies were set up in Chennai, Erode, Salem, Virudhunagar, Cuddalore, Erode, Madurai and Sivaganga. The cost incurred in setting up these pharmacies was Rs. 1 crore and they provided medicines at 10 percent less rate than the market.
After reading all the above points, it can easily be understood as to why Jayalalithaa is Amma for the common people of Tamil Nadu.