Chief Minister EDAPPADI K. PALANI SWAMI spoke to AMARNATH K. MENON on how the state stole the show in this year’s survey. Excerpts:
Q. Tamil Nadu has emerged as the best performing large state. What has the state done differently?
Tamil Nadu was set on a high growth trajectory by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (the late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa). This government has followed the path shown by her. We have a focused economic strategy of promoting industries and other sectors that are oriented towards generation of jobs. The high quality of human resources is our biggest asset. The State’s Skill Development Mission has had a big role in this, helping us attract a range of businesses and investors. Proactive and investor-friendly policies have meant that today Tamil Nadu’s industrial and services sector base is not just large, but diversified too. The state also has a much more even spread of development geographically; the disparities in development among the districts is not as wide as in some other states.
Q. You have a large range of populist welfare programmes. Aren’t some of these a drain on the exchequer?
This story is from the December 03, 2018 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the December 03, 2018 edition of India Today.
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