The Hindu Business Line : TN Govt to focus on infrastructure, IT

On the cards
Relaxation of ban on recruitment to Govt agencies and educational institutions to fill up vacancies
New IT policy on the anvil
Metro rail project along the lines of those in Delhi and Kolkata
Infrastructure development plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area
Free power supply for agriculture to continue

Mr Surjit Singh Barnala

Chennai , May 24

Infrastructure development, a new information technology policy and revival of incentives for setting up small-scale industries in backward areas are among Tamil Nadu Government's plans as spelt out by the Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, in his address to the Assembly.

The Government plans to relax the ban on recruitment to Government agencies and educational institutions to fill up the vacancies. Reservations for minority communities and abolition of the common entrance examination for admission to professional courses from 2007-08 are also on the cards.

Addressing the 13th Assembly on Wednesday, the Governor said that an infrastructure development plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area would be implemented with provision for satellite towns near the city and other municipal corporations.

Metro project

A metro rail project will be set up along the lines of those in Delhi and Kolkata. The State Government will also urge the Centre to expedite the proposal to expand the Chennai airport. Power supply will be augmented with additional units put up at the North Chennai and Mettur Thermal Power Plants of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.

The State Government, with the Centre's assistance, will set up a desalination plant in Chennai to improve water supply. It will also fully cooperate with the Centre to complete the Rs 2,427-crore Sethusamudram Canal Project, the Governor said.

The road network will receive high priority with widening and upgrading of high-density corridors, he said.

Good news for the IT sector

In the pipeline is a new policy for the information technology sector to promote software development, exports and employment generation. Industries will have increased access to the Government, which will assist them in investments. The capital subsidy assistance to small-scale industries in industrially backward areas will be revived.

The Government proposes to streamline admissions to professional courses. A committee will be formed to recommend measures for abolishing the common entrance exams for admission to professional courses from 2007-08.

The course fees in engineering and medical colleges would be reduced, self-supporting courses in Government colleges will be converted to regular courses and fees fixed appropriately, and laws would be passed to make reservation mandatory in unaided non-minority self-financing educational institutions and to provide reservation for Christian and Muslim religious minorities in all educational institutions.

Mr Barnala said the Government would continue with free power supply for agriculture. It would approach the World Bank for assistance to implement the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Resource Management project as a follow up to the Water Resources Consolidation Project implemented in 1996-2001.

The Government will identify 50 lakh acres of wasteland for distributing to the landless. Each landless farmer will get two acres, he said.

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TN Govt to focus on infrastructure, IT