straight talk: Over the years, RTI activists have staged protests across TN urging govt to address concerns over lack of accountability and access to information G AnanthakrishnanChief minister C Joseph Vijay’s pre-election promise of enacting a Right to Services Act within six months of assuming office puts him on a Nov 10 deadline, although it…
Finance secretary M A Siddique Tamil Nadu’s fiscal turnaround will be driven by cleaner governance, transparent procurement and stronger tax administration, says finance secretary M A Siddique. In an interview, the additional chief secretary (finance) discusses the state’s reform agenda, plans for an Economic Advisory Committee, PSU restructuring and the strategy to create fiscal space…
Nithin Chandra, Chennai-based senior partner at Kearney A state’s fiscal situation can shift materially within a single budget cycle, as Tamil Nadu’s own numbers demonstrate. The revenue deficit in FY26, at `78,324 crore, is the highest the state has ever recorded—even higher than during the COVID year of FY21. This did not happen overnight. Warning…
As the C Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government prepares to present its maiden Budget later this month, its fiscal strategy is beginning to take shape. The focus is on improving tax collections through stricter enforcement, plugging revenue leakages, reforming state-owned enterprises, and curbing wasteful expenditure, while protecting politically sensitive welfare schemes and sustaining…
Chennai airport sees decline in rankings as Kolkata closes gap Chennai: The drop in Chennai airport’s aviation rankings in the country has been gradual but steady, thanks to poor passenger amenities, runway saturation and airlines increasingly suspending operations. Once the third-busiest airport after Mumbai and Delhi, it slipped behind Bengaluru and Hyderabad in recent years….
Chennai: Four labourers, including three women, were killed and eight others injured after a mini van carrying woodcutters crashed into a tractor loaded with cashew firewood near Panruti in Cuddalore district in the early hours of Sunday.The victims were identified as R Rani (60), R Ravi (58), K Gandhimathi (55) and S Sathya (32).Police said…
Chennai: TVK’s allies Congress and CPI stepped up their attack on Tamil Nadu governor R V Arlekar, a day after DMK, AIADMK and BJP submitted complaints against the TVK govt to him.TNCC president Manickam Tagore said the attitude of the governor had changed after he met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi last…
Ninth arrest in ₹35 crore bribery case Chennai: Triplicane police on Sunday arrested one more person in connection with the alleged ₹35 crore bribery and intimidation case involving Uthangarai TVK MLA Dr N Ilaiyaraja, taking the total number of arrests to nine. The arrested person was identified as Krishnan, 33, who worked as a driver…
Chennai: Shiv Das Meena, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA), along with members Subramaniam and Sukumar, have resigned from thier posts.This marks the latest in a series of exits by senior retired officials from government-appointed posts in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, former DGP Shankar Jiwal resigned as chairman of the Tamil Nadu…
Chennai: Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) plans to regularise the services of about 23,000 employees working at its liquor outlets and depots, revise their salaries and raise the retirement age to 60. The move is part of the government’s strategy to curb overcharging of customers by improving the pay and service conditions of its…
