Wed Feb 19 10:29:51 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Launches ₹3.75 Crore Entrepreneurship Fund for Former Prisoners

**Chennai, February 19, 2025** – Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin today launched a ₹3.75 crore initiative to support 750 former prisoners in starting their own businesses. The funds, distributed in the form of cheques at an event in Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai, are part of a program run by the Tamil Nadu Discharged Prisoners Aid Society under the Prisons Department.

Mr. Stalin emphasized the state government’s commitment to prison reform, viewing prisons not as places of punishment but as institutions for rehabilitation. He urged former prisoners to utilize the financial aid responsibly, focusing on the well-being of their families and communities. The Deputy CM stressed a forward-looking approach, stating, “Let bygones be bygones. We should think that the coming days should be better.”

The event was attended by several ministers, the Chennai Mayor, and senior officials from the Home Department and Prisons Department. The initiative underscores the Tamil Nadu government’s broader efforts to aid the reintegration of former prisoners into society.

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