Health, education, welfare schemes to be prioritised

CHENNAI: Welfare schemes in health, education, employment and livelihood promotions in State have been prioritised, taking into consideration the allocation involved and the targeted population covered.

Similarly, highly impactful infra projects in various sectors including energy and environment that are expected to transform State’s socio-economic landscape have been identified as ‘iconic projects’.

Accordingly, government has entrusted the Special Programme Implementation Department to sort out welfare schemes that should be on the priority list. A senior official from the department told DT Next that the government is implementing numerous schemes covering various sectors and beneficiaries through departments concerned.

“Some of these schemes have greater significance in terms of financial allocation, the targeted population covered and improvements in health, education, employment generation, livelihood promotion, provision of basic amenities and housing,” he said adding, “such schemes are categorised as a priority for focused review in the high-level meetings.”

The official said the idea is to bring welfare schemes under a priority list to reach the beneficiaries in time by speedy allocation of funds. “Already a total 130 priority schemes identified that will be implemented in as many as 24 departments as per the list,” he added.

Stating that the priority schemes will be reviewed periodically, he said: “In the health sector, vaccination will be given importance while in school education, free textbooks and uniforms in the State-run institutions will get priority”.

On ‘iconic projects’, the official said such schemes in sectors such as energy, environment, water and sanitation; industrial corridors, tidel parks, elevated road projects, outer ring roads, bridges, heritage projects, transport projects, multi-speciality hospitals, IT projects, irrigation projects etc will also be listed in the priority table.