In mini budget, Jaya announces 77-point plan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday presented a mini budget of sorts at the end of the two-day marathon conference of Coll­ectors and Police Officers of all 32 districts, when she ma­de as many as 77 announcements regarding infrastructure and the general needs of the public based on suggestions of the participants. The CM touched upon all important aspects of the government machinery and law and order in her interaction.Not disappointing anyone who had made a suggestion during deliberations, the CM said, “I have tried to fulfill all your requests as far as possible, and if there are any requests that have been left unfulfilled, it means that they are under consideration or will be fulfilled at the time of annual budget presentation next year.”Bringing down the minimum age of differently-abled persons eligible for pension from 45 to 18, introducing SMS-based attendance system for all school teachers, steps to provide the nutritio­us mango milk shake at noon-meal centres and hirin­g of helicopters for effective search and rescue operations to trace missing fishermen were among announcements made by the CM, accepting the requests of Collectors.In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, women complainants would be provided seats in all police stations. Other announcements made on the requests of police officers include mandatory installation of CCTVs at all commercial establishments to check crime rate and introduction of an integrated traffic management system for Chennai city.In concluding remarks at the Collectors’ meet, the CM said she planned to hold monthly video-conferen­ces with groups of Collectors to monitor the progress of deve­lopmental works at the grass-roots levels, namely in  noon-meal centres, SC/BC hostels, sanitary complexes, village roads, PDS shops and so on. She also made a daring vow of gigantic proportion: to provide houses to all needy families, while stressing that Collectors must be vigilant and protect poromboke and temple lands, which  had become easy targets for poachers.As for police officers, she asked them to strictly avoid unnecessary use of force, prevent custodial deaths and have zero-tolerance for corruption. The conduct of officers should be impeccable, she insisted, saying, “The image of the govern­ment is linked to the image of the police, which is the...representation of administration for the common man.”