Jaya vows to make TN numero uno

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday unveiled the State’s strategy to catapult it into the numero uno position by focusing on energy security, agriculture, infrastructure, inclusive growth, eradication of poverty and training and equipping 20 million youth with skills in the next 11 years.Releasing the Vision Tamil Nadu 2023 document, she said the focus will also be on to reduce inequality of incomes across the State, create 10 world class cities, 25 lakh affordable homes for poor besides establishing 10 or more top of the league institutions as Centres of Excellence in various fields that will attract the best talents from across the globe.“Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 places substantial emphasis on inclusive growth by channeling considerable resources to the lowest income groups and ensuring Tamil Nadu becomes poverty free,” she said.Jayalalithaa also said that her vision is to provide piped and pressurised water to all citizens and ensure 100 per cent access to safe sanitation before the end of 2023. “Open defecation will be completely eliminated in the state,” she vowed.She also said that the State was constructing 25 lakh affordable homes for the poor to create a slum-free and hut-free Tamil Nadu besides achieving universal secondary education and increase enrolment in colleges (including vocational education) by over 50 per cent.The Chief Minister also said that the State will be criss-crossed with high-speed, safe multi-lane highways and every district will have quality roads by the end of 2023.There was also emphasis on energy security, as the Chief Minister highlighted her vision to build 20,000 MW of additional power generation capacity in the next 10 years.Highlighting the need for availability of trained, knowledgeable and skilled manpower in Tamil Nadu to realise the success of Vision 2023, Jayalalithaa said that the state would train and equip 20 million persons with skills in the next 11 years.The Chief Minister also stressed on food security and a second green revolution. “My vision is to achieve substantial improvement in agricultural productivity by introducing scientific agricultural methods and building an institutional network to support the continued adoption of the same,” Jayalalithaa added.