CHENNAI: Saving Tamil Nadu from corruption today is equal to achieving freedom and independence, chief minister C Joseph Vijay said on Saturday, asserting that his govt was functioning on a “mission mode” to establish corruption-free governance and create zero tolerance towards corruption.Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Fort St George after hoisting the national flag, Vijay said, “We want our people to develop zero tolerance towards corruption. We appeal to the officials and people of Tamil Nadu to make our state corruption-free,” he said.He directed officials to treat people with dignity when they approached govt offices with complaints or to seek information.“We have told officials to treat people with kindness and not make them run from pillar to post. We have told them to look into their grievances in detail and provide solutions,” he said.Vijay said the expectation of all was that the freedom secured by the freedom fighters should not remain the freedom of a few, but become the freedom of all Indians, including through self-respect, equal rights, equal opportunity and a dignified life.Turning to the people’s role in his govt, Vijay said they had voted for their “brother and son, Vijay” and made him chief minister, but their responsibility did not end with voting.“Only now do you have to be with us. You have to be with our govt. Only then can I execute all the good schemes for you,” he said.Vijay said the chief minister’s post represented the eight crore people of Tamil Nadu and that people were the rulers while those in govt were their servants.He urged people to be with him to defeat the “powers and conspiracies” working against the govt, and asked them: “What worry do I have when you’re with me?”Vijay said his govt had stopped the practice of govt revenue reaching individuals and had introduced measures to strengthen digital governance.Land surveys and records in the HR&CE and revenue departments were being digitised, while steps had been taken to approve revenue applications within 15 days. A new WhatsApp number had also been introduced for people to report corruption, he said.He said the TVK government was functioning on the principle of “Pirapokkum Ella Uyirkkum”, with transparency and people’s welfare as its foremost priorities.“There should be no compromise in public life and people’s welfare is the most important,” he said.On the Centre-state relationship, Vijay said Tamil Nadu would maintain administrative coordination with the Union government, while the govt would oppose policies that were against the interests of the state.He said the government would continue existing welfare schemes such as Amma Unavagam and expand the breakfast scheme from classes 6 to 8 from Sept 17, Periyar’s birth anniversary.He said true freedom would come only when people understood oppression and united against it.“If people know they have been oppressed and kept as slaves, unity among people will form. When that happens, caste will break, religion will break, language and race will break. In that place, real freedom will come,” he said.Recalling the freedom secured under Mahatma Gandhi on Aug 15, Vijay said the country had continued to develop since Independence and it was the responsibility of the present generation to take that development forward.He thanked Tamils across the globe and the “Gen Z young lion force” for the opportunity making him address the I-Day speech from the 386-year-old fort.Listing his govt’s achievements in its first three months, Vijay highlighted the farmers’ loan waiver, an AI-based healthcare app, the Thai Mam gold scheme, induction of 300 new buses and closure of 707 TASMAC outlets.Vijay also announced welfare enhancements for ex-servicemen and their families and acknowledged the contribution of ex-servicemen who had fought in wars.He said Tamil Nadu’s economy would be taken to $1.5 trillion by 2036 and pledged to make the state comparable with leading countries globally.Vijay saluted the people of Tamil Nadu for “rejecting caste and religious considerations, money and muscle power, and giving his govt an overwhelming mandate to establish a people-centric government based on social justice.”The chief minister who began his address with his trademark statement, “En Nenjil Kudi Irukkum” (those who live in my heart), and wished people on Independence Day, concluded it with another trademark line of his, “Be confident. Good will happen and victory is certain.”
