Chennai, Apr 13:
C. Joseph Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), on Sunday rolled out a seven-point “good governance” blueprint ahead of the April 23 Assembly polls, promising a Tamil Nadu Citizen Privilege Card for every household to enable automatic doorstep delivery of welfare schemes without applications, intermediaries or bribes.
Addressing a rally in Kanniyakumari, Vijay said a Right to Services Act would be enacted within six months of assuming office. He also proposed a “Vettri Tamil Nadu” Super App to integrate services such as licences, certificates and grievance redressal, with penal provisions against officials for delays.
To enhance transparency, Vijay announced plans for a real-time government dashboard to track budget allocations and expenditure, aiming to end what he described as opaque financial practices. A participatory portal would allow citizens to suggest policies, monitor schemes and evaluate governance.
Among other key promises, he outlined a “People’s Forum” mechanism, under which petitions garnering 10,000 verified signatures would mandate a government response, while those crossing five lakh signatures would trigger compulsory debate in the Assembly with dedicated session time.
Highlighting the role of emerging technologies, Vijay said Tamil Nadu would be positioned as India’s AI and digital capital. Citing projections of artificial intelligence contributing $1.7 trillion to the Indian economy by 2035, he proposed the creation of an AI University, an AI City, innovation hubs across Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchy, support for 1,000 deep-tech firms, and a dedicated Department of AI.
Focusing on welfare, he announced a threefold increase in safety assistance for fishermen—from ₹8,000 to ₹20,000—and a housing scheme to replace dilapidated coastal dwellings.
Raising concerns over the State’s debt, which he said has crossed ₹10.5 lakh crore, Vijay noted that rising interest payments were diverting funds from key sectors such as education, healthcare and infrastructure, and pledged to boost revenue while reducing debt without imposing additional taxes.