A Transgender Pageant To Rival All: Udhayanidhi Inaugurates Welfare Initiative

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday inaugurated the much-awaited transgender beauty pageant Miss Koovagam in Villupuram. Speaking at the event he underlined the government’s welfare-for-all focus. “The government is giving equal importance to the welfare of the trans people. To provide self-employment opportunities, the government provided driving licenses for 50 transgender people. This measure enables them to get a job for themselves as drivers.” Interestingly the minister’s initiative to conduct “separate sports competitions” for transgender won him a lot of appreciation.

By Oneindia English Desk

The youth welfare department has been a key focus for the DMK since the time of Chief Minister Karunanidhi who was the first the form a separate Youth Welfare department. And when MK Stalin took over the government he further bolstered this pledge. Within a few months of taking charge, he approved scholarships for athletes. At an event in November 2022, CM Stalin handed over incentives of ? 4.85 crores to 190 female athletes who won medals in national and international games. In March 2023, 160 athletes were given an incentive of ?2.25 crores in total. CM Stalin also handed over appointment orders to 8 sportspersons and 76 instructors at the Secretariat.

To develop the sports infrastructure of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi’s department launched the Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation. The aim, to prepare athletes of the state for international competitions. Udhayanidhi maintained that he will always consider the post as his primary responsibility. The Sports Minister also met corporates to collect funds under the Corporate Social Responsibility activity.

Two days ago, in a ceremony held at the Secretariat, the DMK minister presented world-class sports equipment worth ?40 lakhs to the players of Tamil Nadu who will participate in the 13th Hockey India National Championship Men’s and Women’s Sub-Junior Division to be held in Rourkela, Odisha. Currently, Tamil Nadu is at the forefront of International Chess competitions, but we cannot forget that this limelight was on the state Hockey team before. Players like Hockey Baskar were part of that golden era. Current player Krishnakumar from Vada Chennai promises that Tamil Nadu hockey will soon raise to international standards again.

In his home constituency, Udhayanidhi has also taken a keen interest in the demands of Chepakkam-Tiruvallikeni constituents by upgrading all government school classrooms into smart. Recently, he also launched the ‘Kalaignar Mobile Library’ for his constituents IPL matches happen at Chepauk Stadium which comes under the constituency of Udhayanidhi. As a sports minister, he is getting constant requests for IPL tickets from the members of the opposition at the assembly. Even though there was heavy competition to get IPL tickets, Minister Udhayanidhi took 150 children who are passionate about cricket to the Chepauk Stadium. They all belong to his constituency. He also stated in a Twitter post, “We hope that this initiative will further increase their love for the sport”

Courtesy : OneIndia

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