After a year of hits and misses, focus on big-ticket projects

After taking flak for the way it handled the Chennai floods in November 2021, the entire official ma

After taking flak for the way it handled the Chennai floods in November 2021, the entire official machinery focused on improving the network of storm-water drains in the city and neighbouring districts, the result of which could be seen when Cyclone Mandous made its landfall near Mamallapuram in the second week of December. The government’s better preparedness came in for appreciation as the natural calamity did not cause much damage.

Another “visible achievement” was the successful hosting of the Chess Olympiad, a responsibility that the State chose to saddle itself with, said a senior official. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February compelled the World Chess Federation to move the event from Moscow. , originally chosen for the biennial spectacle.

When the State came to know that India could be the host country, it seized the opportunity. The historic town of Mamallapuram was identified; the State government, despite a financial crunch, sanctioned over ₹92 crore to host the Olympiad. Needless to say, the All India Chess Federation was all praise for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the bureaucracy for the excellent organisation of the event.

The launch of the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme in September for students of Classes 1-5 at government schools and the ‘Pudhumai Penn’ scheme, envisaging a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 each to girl students studying Class 5-12 at government schools till the completion of their graduation or diploma, were some of the high-profile initiatives of the government.

Among the measures having a direct impact on people were the increase in property tax and power tariff, which had remained untouched for years. Naturally, there was widespread criticism and the Opposition parties , especially the AIADMK, highlighted the steep increase. So far, the government has stood its ground. What is significant this time is that the increase in the case of both will hereafter be an annual affair, a decision which needs to be observed closely.

The image of Tamil Nadu being a haven of peace suffered a blow when a large number of youth rioted on the premises of a higher secondary school at Kaniyamoor in Kallakurichi. , the scenes of which were shown on television channels. The stated aim of the protesters was to “secure justice” for a Class 12 girl student who was found dead on July 13 at the school hostel. School buses and property were destroyed. Nearly 110 police personnel, including a Deputy Inspector-General, were injured.

The Coimbatore car blast, on the eve of Deepavali, had not only created a sense of fear among residents but also revived the memories of the bitter past of the late 1990s. It also triggered a huge political controversy; but its impact appeared to be limited as only one person — that too, the suspected mastermind — died.