Chennai: Continuing with her post-poll populist measures, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalithaa today (Jun 16, 2004) announced extension of the free bicycle scheme for Dalit girl students of 11th and 12th standards to backward and most-backward class girl students.

The measure would benefit 2.96 lakh girls with an outgo of Rs.47.36 crore annually.

Already the State Government was providing free cycles to Dalit girl students and the scheme was being now extended to backward and most backward class students, she said adding the measure was to avoid drop outs in the higher secondary levels among the girls.

The AIADMK Government in Tamil Nadu has been announcing several welfare schemes and roll backs of controversial decisions, including restoration of free power supply to farmers and withdrawal of anti-conversion act, after the party's rout in last month Lok Sabha polls.

The latest is the 21st populist measure announced by the Government.