Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Friday announced a series of welfare and development initiatives, including an ambitious housing programme to construct seven lakh houses by 2030, during the “Kanavu Meyipadum” consultation event held at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.
The Chief Minister said that under the Kalaignar Dream Housing Scheme, the government plans to build five lakh houses in rural areas and two lakh houses in urban areas by 2030. The initiative is aimed at ensuring secure housing for economically weaker families and improving living standards across Tamil Nadu.
The announcements came as part of the concluding event of the “Ungal Kanavai Sollungal” initiative launched by the state government. Under this programme, officials and volunteers conducted an extensive outreach exercise across the state to understand the aspirations and expectations of citizens. Over 50,000 volunteers visited around 1.92 crore households across Tamil Nadu for 45 days, interacting directly with people to record their future goals and concerns.
During the outreach drive, volunteers also collected suggestions for the “En Oor En Kanavu” (My Village, My Dream) programme, which seeks to prepare Vision 2030 development plans for all 38 districts. Consultations were also held on eight sectoral long-term development plans, while data was gathered from nearly 10 lakh youth under the “My Dream, My Future” initiative.
At the event, which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, ministers, media leaders, industry experts, film personalities, scientists and young achievers, the Chief Minister outlined multiple initiatives aimed at improving education, healthcare, agriculture and employment.
Among the major announcements was the establishment of mental health counselling centres in every district. The government will also conduct special medical camps to detect diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer at early stages.
To support the agricultural sector, the Chief Minister announced that agricultural equipment will be distributed to 1.25 lakh farmers. He also said the government aims to increase milk production in Tamil Nadu to 4.5 crore litres by 2030.
In the education sector, the government plans to establish 1,000 model schools across the state by 2030 and expand skill development through the “Naan Mudhalvan 2.0” programme. The state will also take steps to raise the gross enrolment ratio in higher education to 90 per cent by 2030, while artificial intelligence laboratories will be set up in educational institutions to strengthen technology-based learning.
The Chief Minister also announced that AI-based technologies would be introduced to reduce road accidents, while training programmes will be provided for backward communities in sectors such as textiles, leather, garments and information technology.
In a major employment push, Stalin said the state aims to attract ₹18 lakh crore in investments to create jobs for five lakh youth. He also announced the creation of model villages named after Mahatma Gandhi and initiatives to transform villages into economic development hubs.
The Annal Ambedkar Overseas Higher Education Scheme will also be expanded to provide greater opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue studies abroad.
Concluding his address, Stalin said the government would continue to work tirelessly for the welfare of the people and ensure that development initiatives reach every household in Tamil Nadu.