Over Rs 35,000 Crore of Mous Have Been Signed Since the Government Came to Power

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Marie Wilson presented the TVK-led government's maiden budget in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, setting a goal of reaching a $1.5 trillion economy by 2035-36. Wilson lauded Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's leadership, saying his entry into public service was driven by a moral obligation to the people. The budget includes an additional 25 days of work and wages for those who completed 125 days under the VB-GRAM G scheme, Rs 300 crore for 2,500 hectares of new and improved mangrove forests, an 8-gram gold coin and silk saree for eligible brides under 'Annan's Seer', a 1-gram gold ring for every child born in a government hospital (Rs 560 crore), expansion of the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme to middle-school students, new elderly care facilities, and enhanced welfare measures for the transgender community. The government announced a new Industrial Policy, AI-enabled investor facilitation, industrial parks in backward districts, a Space Industrial Investment Zone in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli with a Space Vehicle Common Technical Facility in collaboration with IN-SPA Ce, and India's first proposed AI and Innovation City ('Arivagam').

The Tamil Nadu AI Mission will promote responsible use of AI, quantum computing, and virtual reality, with Rs 398 crore allocated for the AI and IT sector. E-sevai 2.0 will be set up. A Third Master Plan (2027-2046) for Chennai and a new comprehensive master plan for the expanded Chennai Metropolitan Area covering 5,904 sq km were announced, with Rs 25 crore for the new city Master Plan.

Over Rs 35,000 crore of MoUs have been signed since the government came to power. Healthcare priorities include mobile geriatric clinics, maternity care centres, telemedicine networks, a hub-and-spoke cancer care system, and higher allocations for essential medicines. The Agriculture budget is scheduled for August 6.