Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to roll out cost-cutting measures by restructuring all departments, including trimming the number of senior officer posts and abolishing positions deemed non-essential.
The state’s total debt is estimated at Rs 10 lakh crore. For the current financial year, total revenue is projected at Rs 3.50 lakh crore, while total expenditure is expected to be Rs 4.05 lakh crore. Salary spending is pegged at Rs 77,310 crore, interest payments at Rs 76,452 crore, and subsidies at Rs 1.72 lakh crore.
The report notes that several welfare initiatives are being implemented, including 200 units of free electricity for households using up to 500 units, and other schemes. A plan to provide women with three free LPG cylinders a year is set to begin from Pongal, while a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 for women has been cited as an election promise, increasing the need for funds.
To boost revenue, steps have been taken such as strengthening liquor sales through TASMAC outlets and preventing irregularities in mineral sales. As part of expenditure control, several schemes announced by the previous administration have also been cancelled.
Under the restructuring, departments will assess which posts are essential and which are not. The government has decided to reduce the number of Additional Commissioners and Joint Commissioners in the Commercial Taxes Department, with similar reviews under way in other departments.
