CHENNAI: With the Vice Chairman and the entire panel of members at the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission all originally appointed during the previous DMK regime having tendered their resignations following the formation of the TVK-led government in the State, senior officials within the Commission have confirmed that the government will soon take an appropriate decision on thoroughly reconstituting the advisory body.
After the DMK assumed office in 2021, the State Planning Commission underwent a significant overhaul with noted economist J Jeyaranjan at the helm as Vice Chairman.
Academics R Srinivasan and M Vijayabaskar were brought on board as full-time members to drive policy research.
The other members included retired IAS officer K Deenabandu, industrialist Mallika Srinivasan, Bharatanatyam exponent Narthaki Nataraj, environmentalist Sultan Ahmed Ismail, alongside experts J Amalorpavanathan and G Sivaraman. Later, the then Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was appointed as the ex-officio Vice Chairman.
Throughout its tenure, the outgoing Commission submitted several reports evaluating the impact of key welfare schemes implemented by the DMK government. Notably, its assessments of flagship public initiatives, such as the Vidiyal Payanam (free bus travel scheme) and the widely acclaimed Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme, received widespread appreciation.
The Commission also established a precedent by publishing the State Economic Survey right ahead of the presentation of the State Budget in the Assembly. It released the Economic Survey for two consecutive financial years.
However, following the change in the state government, the Vice Chairman and all serving members have formally stepped down from their posts, leaving the high-level Commission without a Vice Chairman or members.
Speaking on this transition issue, Member Secretary P Kumaravel Pandian stated that the government would soon decide the precise next course of action regarding the reconstitution of the Commission, adding that a definitive policy decision on the matter would be taken shortly.