Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Chief Minister.
Vijay’s entry into Fort St. George, the seat of power in Tamil Nadu, marks a refreshing change in the State.
Along with Vijay, nine others — N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K.A. Sengottayan, K.G. Arunraj, P. Venkataramanan, R. Nirmal Kumar, Raj Mohan, T.K. Prabhu and S. Keerthana — were sworn in as members of the Cabinet.
200 units of free power
Soon after assuming office, Vijay penned his signature for three key decisions. First, he gave his approval for providing 200 units of free electricity every two months for domestic consumers who consume 500 units. Secondly, he gave his consent for the creation of women’s protection force. Thirdly, he gave his nod for the setting up of Anti-Narcotic Task Force in every district.
Assures transparency
“I am one among you. I was born to a poor Assistant Director. You the people have made me the Chief Minister. I am speechless,” Vijay said after the swearing-in ceremony.
He pointed out that the new government was taking charge with a debt burden of Rs 10 lakh crore. Vijay said that he would first study the status of the state finances and release a white paper on the current status.
“We want to be a transparent government and tell you the current status of the state government. I just want to take it forward from there. That is what I am thinking of doing first,” he said. Vijay also requested people to give him time and sought their co-operation. He assured the people that he would fulfill his promises in a phased manner.
His government, he said, would ensure women’s safety and focus on eradication of the drug menace. Vijay said that his first focus would on basic things such as education, ration, healthcare, road infrastructure and water.
The new Chief Minister declared that he won’t touch people’s money. “I won’t indulge in wrong doing and also won’t allow anyone with me to do wrong things. There will be only one power centre, under my leadership,” he said.
“This is a new beginning, a new era of a real secular social justice starts now,” Vijay said.
TN is unique in many ways
Tamil Nadu is the second-largest economy after Maharashtra. The state is unique in many ways. Its growth is led by both the manufacturing and services industries.
It is home to 31,517 operational factories, the highest in India. It leads in many sectors including automobile, electric vehicle manufacturing, textiles, leather, electronics, among others.
Tamil Nadu also stands out in distributed growth. Industrial growth has spread across districts, unlike in other states where it is skewed toward the state capital or fewer districts.
Fifty per cent of Tamil Nadu’s State Gross Domestic Product Growth (GSDP) is accounted for by as many as 25 per cent of its districts. Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Hosur, Madurai, Salem and Thoothukudi have emerged as regional economic powerhouses.
Thirty-seven of the 38 districts in the state already have an industrial park or one under development.
Given the elevated status of Tamil Nadu in the country’s industrial and business ecosystem, industrialists and business community are quite positive and confident that there will be policy continuity, which has been the hallmark of Tamil Nadu despite regime changes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Vijay on his assuming office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Modi greets Vijay
“Best wishes for his tenure ahead. The Central Government will keep working with the Tamil Nadu Government to improve the lives of people,” he said.
CM seeks Centre’s support
Thanking the Prime Minister for his wishes, Chief Minister Vijay in his X post said, “I extend my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister Thiru @narendramodi Avl for his kind wishes on my assumption of office as the Chief Minister.”
“Our sole objective is the welfare and progress of our people. We look forward to the active support and cooperation of the Union Government for the continued growth of Tamil Nadu,” he added.