Jaya's grand vision for 2023: A richer, world-class Tamil Nadu

Ten months since she came to power, the Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has unveiled her dream future for the state — a poverty-free, world-class investment destination with equal accent on human development. No other dream has been this big, with the exception of, perhaps, Gujarat. Everything about this 11-year-long perspective plan titled Vision Tamil Nadu-2023 is super big: taking the state to one of the three top investment destinations in Asia, an investment of Rs 15 lakh crore, an increase of the state’s GDP to 11 percent, a six-fold rise of the annual per capita income to an envious Rs 4.5 lakh, an addition of 20,000 MW of power capacity and so on. Through an inclusive growth plan, the state will largely be free of poverty by 2023, the document said. By 2023, the state now reeling under a crippling power crisis, will have surplus electricity. [caption id=“attachment_253985” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The vision document reads like a completely new universe. Reuters”]  [/caption] In her message on the plan, Jayalalithaa said she is setting a short-term target for practical and accountability reasons. “A distant vision neither inspires nor challenges. We need to stretch targets which will challenge us and are achieved within a timeframe that is not too remote. Hence as we stand at the commencement of the 2012-13 fiscal year, I have chosen a clear and challenging timeframe of ten fiscal years within which we set out to achieve ambitious goals.” The vision document reads like a completely new universe. It has massive expansion of road networks, particularly the four and six lane highways; ports, transportation, storage and cold-storage infrastructure; large-scale agricultural development including horticulture parks, agro-processing zones, restoration of wells, canals and micro-irrigation and massive skill development of people. The vision document targets job-oriented skill building of 20 million people. In true Jayalalithaa style, she also has given considerable focus on health, particularly maternal and child health. At least 2 percent of the Rs 15 lakh crore investment will be to improve healthcare facilities. The plan also envisages 10 super-specialty hospitals. Infrastructure development would absorb a bulk of the planned investment. For instance, road development, mainly multi-laning will require Rs 1.3 lakh crore; the investment in power generation will require Rs 4.5 lakh crore; and three greenfield ports capable of handling 150 million tonnes of cargo a year will cost Rs 15,000 crore. The implementation of the plan will involve considerable public private partnership (PPP). “The goals and themes of the vision are determined as clearly perceivable outcomes which will impact the lives of the common citizens in the most direct manner possible - substantial increases in income through generation of fruitful employment, improvement in the quality of life through provision of high quality infrastructure and services; focused growth of sectors where the state has a competitive advantage and above all; peace prosperity and protection of the vulnerable,” she added. You can read the complete vision document (68 pages) here: TN Vision 2023 Here are the highlights of Vision-2023: Ten vision Themes: 1. Tamil Nadu will be amongst India’s most economically prosperous states by 2023, achieving a six-fold growth in per capita income (in real terms) over the next 11 years to be on par with the Upper Middle Income countries globally. 2. Tamil Nadu will exhibit a highly inclusive growth pattern – it will largely be a poverty-free state with opportunities for gainful and productive employment for all those who seek it, and will provide care for the disadvantaged, vulnerable and the destitute in the state. 3. Tamil Nadu will be India’s leading state in social development and will have the highest Human Development Index (HDI) amongst all Indian states. 4. Tamil Nadu will provide the best infrastructure services in India in terms of universal access to housing, water & sanitation, energy, transportation, irrigation, connectivity, healthcare, and education. 5. Tamil Nadu will be one of the top three preferred investment destinations in Asia and the most preferred in India with a reputation for efficiency and competitiveness. 6. Tamil Nadu will be known as the innovation hub and knowledge capital of India, on the strength of world class institutions in various fields and the best human talent. 7. Tamil Nadu will ensure peace, security and prosperity for all citizens and business, enabling free movement and exchange of ideas, people and trade with other Indian states and rest of the world. 8. Tamil Nadu will preserve and care for its ecology and heritage. 9. Tamil Nadu will actively address the causes of vulnerability of the state and its people due to uncertainties arising from natural causes, economic downturns, and other man-made reasons and mitigate the adverse effects. 10. Tamil Nadu will nurture a culture of responsive and transparent governance that ensures progress, security, and equal opportunity to all stakeholders.