On May 10, a new govt led by chief minister C Joseph Vijay assumed office with a promise to change things. Six months later, it has changed more of its own decisions than anything else. On the positive side, it has embarked on a clean-up drive in the administration while delivering on its welfare promises.The first reversal was the appointment of an astrologer as a special officer. Following protests from the public and political parties, including TVK allies, the govt cancelled his appointment.. Then came a short-lived circular to regulate student protests and a notification to acquire land for the expansion of Melma SIPCOT. The govt’s decision to keep law-and-order matters outside the ambit of the Right to Information Act also faced criticism before being withdrawn.A bureaucrat who has seen several regime changes said it was “typical of a govt still finding its feet”. Ministers said the reversals showed the govt’s “willingness to correct its mistakes”, even as it took some bold decisions.“We shut down 700 Tasmac outlets, which no other govt had dared to do,” said school education minister A Rajmohan. Pointing to the continuation of good schemes, he cited the increased footfall at Amma Unavagams, launched by J Jayalalithaa. Transparency, he said, was the hallmark of the govt. “There is no party fund or CM fund. The decision to grant and renew licences for schools strictly on merit is a feather in our leader’s cap,” he said.Delivering on TVK’s poll promises, the govt announced free 200 units of electricity per household, waived crop loans, expanded the school breakfast scheme and began giving gold rings to newborns. To protect women, it set up the ‘Singappen’ task force.On the welfare front, however, the Vijay govt has chosen continuity, while giving existing schemes a cosmetic makeover. Free bus travel and the monthly cash dole for women were extended and enhanced. At least 30 schemes have either been named or rebranded under the “Vetri” banner, ranging from a Vetri notebook manufacturing unit to Vetri double-fortified salt.The most debated proposal has been the construction of a new secretariat at Foreshore Estate. The govt’s approach to infrastructure has been less consistent. It abandoned the Parandur airport project, while the four-lane elevated corridor on East Coast Road remains in limbo. The govt has justified such decisions as part of an effort to eliminate corruption and prevent wasteful expenditure.The govt did make a start on overhauling the tendering system, cancelling high-cost projects, including short-term power purchases and temple-linked infrastructure works. The govt also cancelled the tender to procure 1,000 electric buses for MTC only to revoke the cancellation a day later. The water resources department cancelled around 200 tenders, citing administrative reasons.On Friday, the public works department constituted the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure and Construction Corporation, a public sector undertaking to execute construction projects worth more than ₹200 crore and develop buildings on unused govt land to generate revenue. Whether this evolves into a consistent infrastructure strategy or remains another institutional experiment will depend on the govt’s ability to define its priorities. Power cuts and rising electricity charges remain matters of concern. Rising prices of essential commodities have compounded people’s daily struggles.On the economy front, Vijay took forward former chief minister M K Stalin’s dream of making Tamil Nadu a trillion-dollar economy by 2030 and set a target of achieving a GSDP of $1.5 trillion by 2036. However, the state’s GST growth of 3% in October, significantly below the double-digit growth recorded by neighbouring states, has raised questions about the strength of the economy and the govt’s ambitions. While Vijay took pride in announcing investment commitments worth ₹1.1 lakh crore and set up the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Commission last week, the state’s outstanding liabilities of ₹10.98 lakh crore, as projected in the revised budget estimates, remain a concern.Vijay seems to believe that when finances become precarious, confrontation should give way to cooperation. Unlike the DMK govt, his administration has avoided direct clashes with the BJP-led Union govt while continuing to project itself as a defender of Tamil Nadu’s interests. It disbanded the Justice Kurian Joseph committee on Centre-state relations. Vijay has also engaged directly with chief ministers of neighbouring states to resolve water disputes.Vijay seems to maintain a work-life balance, arriving at his office at 10am and leaving by 4pm. An official said the chief minister gave tight deadlines for performance but did not present the bigger picture.Minister Rajmohan said the govt had set in motion an anti-corruption drive. He quoted Vijay: “We have not come here for just one term. We must not relax simply because we have won. We have come to bring about real change.”
