CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu’s Vision for Sustainable Development Goals, a report submitted by the state planning commission, aims at eliminating extreme poverty and reduce the population below the poverty line in TN to zero by 2030.
“The major interventions of the state are employment generation schemes, housing facilities at an affordable cost, provision of health care, education, drinking water supply, sanitation and a good road network. TN is the first to introduce mid-day meals in schools which helped improve enrolment, reduce drop-outs and address poverty,” the 634-page report submitted to Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
The document highlights the present status and outlines strategies and action plan of the state and its interventions to achieve 17 SDGs through numerous welfare schemes and policies.
The report said Tamil Nadu has achieved a significant decline in poverty over the years. Based on the state-specific poverty lines, the poverty ratio in Tamil Nadu is much lower compared to the other states. TN aims to eliminate extreme poverty and reduce the population below the poverty line in Tamil Nadu to zero.
Listing out efforts taken to ensure inclusive and equitable quality of education, the report suggested numerous strategies such as introducing vocational education from class 9, attracting more women students by providing hostel facilities in 500 polytechnics, increase colleges for women, improve access and quality of higher education in the state and make students employment-ready, increase in number of job-oriented courses, etc,.
Giving importance to the promotion of organic farming, the document recommended ensuring seed sovereignty of farmers. Strengthening soil and ensuring water conservation measures, promoting a mixed farming approach for livelihood security, and launching a statewide intensive campaign on organic farming, ensuring availability of quality organic manure to farmers, launching special tribal agriculture programmes, etc, are the measures suggested in the report.
Congratulating the SPC for the report, CM MK Stalin, in a post on X, said, “Tamil Nadu outpaces Europe in the progress made on Sustainable Development Goals. With our SDG performance surpassing Europe’s overall average and bold strides in rural jobs, EVs, and the knowledge economy, TN’s one trillion dollar economy vision is well within reach.”