GCC to Verify Urimai Thogai Application of 79-Year-Old’s Wife at Home

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has been directed to conduct an in-person verification into the rejection of a woman’s application for the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Scheme after her 79-year-old husband raised concerns over the decision.

The Tamil Nadu Information Commission issued the direction on July 29 following a petition filed by Vidhya Sankar of T Nagar under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He had sought details regarding the reasons for rejecting his wife’s application for the monthly financial assistance provided under the scheme.

During the hearing, GCC officials informed the commission that responses to the RTI queries had already been provided. However, the petitioner raised objections regarding the information supplied.

According to the Greater Chennai Corporation, the application was rejected because the family’s annual income was above ₹2.5 lakh, which is among the eligibility conditions for receiving the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai benefit.

Officials also explained that applications for the welfare scheme are primarily submitted through online platforms. Therefore, physical application records may not be available in certain cases.

Considering the age of the applicants, the commission observed that the elderly couple could have experienced difficulties while completing the online application or may have inadvertently provided incorrect information.

The commission subsequently directed the GCC Public Information Officer to arrange for officials to visit the couple’s residence. The officials have been asked to verify the relevant documents and application details and submit a report on the action taken by August 31.

The case highlights the challenges elderly residents may face while accessing online government welfare services. The home verification is expected to help determine whether the rejection of the Urimai Thogai application was justified based on the actual documents and eligibility details.