Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to launch the fourth phase of the state’s flagship outreach programme, Ungaludan Stalin (Stalin With You), in Cuddalore today.
The initiative promises doorstep access to over 40 key government services across 15 departments.
According to Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha, the programme builds on lessons from three earlier phases and incorporates feedback from citizens. “This is not just a pre-election gimmick. We've already implemented three successful phases, and the model has been tweaked based on learnings and public feedback,” she told NDTV.
As part of this rollout, 10,000 camps will be set up statewide to provide services directly to the people.
Rural areas will see 46 services offered, while urban centres will get 43, including assistance with patta transfers, ration card updates, name changes for electricity connections, health insurance enrolment, and access to small and medium enterprise (SME) loans.
Importantly, women who missed applying for the ₹1,000 monthly assistance scheme will now have another opportunity through these camps.
Amudha noted that the goal is to reduce the need for people to visit taluk or district offices by bringing services closer to home. “Our outreach includes door-to-door campaigns to inform families of camp dates, ensuring no one is left out,” she said.
While most services are available online, the camps aim to bridge the digital divide by offering offline access for citizens with limited internet or tech skills. The initiative also includes a detailed tracking and feedback system to ensure efficient service delivery.
Responding to concerns that past schemes often stopped at message confirmations with no follow-up, Amudha clarified: “Budget-sensitive benefits and schemes with a cap may sometimes be deferred to the next financial year, but as far as services are concerned, we have 95% delivery feedback.”
Though widely regarded as a model of governance innovation, the scheme has also drawn criticism. AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami dismissed the programme, calling it a “failed model over the last few years.”