Drug-Free Tamil Nadu, Youth and Women Welfare Focus as CM Vijay Introduces 436 Projects in First Cabinet Meeting

The first cabinet meeting of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, was held at the Secretariat on Friday, with discussions focused on implementing new initiatives across departments.

The meeting, which lasted over an hour, covered a wide range of governance priorities. According to minister for energy resources and law CTR Nirmal Kumar, the Chief Minister introduced 436 new projects spanning multiple departments.

Key focus areas included youth empowerment, women’s welfare, development of fishing communities, and efforts to make Tamil Nadu drug-free, he said.

Addressing reporters, Kumar said the Chief Minister had assigned specific targets to each department as part of a structured rollout plan for the 436 projects. He added that ministers would now work with officials to prepare detailed action plans before moving to implementation.

On anti-drug measures, the minister said the government has already shut down 717 state-run liquor shops as part of its broader crackdown. He reiterated the administration’s goal of building a “drug-free Tamil Nadu,” citing the prevalence of narcotics ranging from ganja to methamphetamine in recent years.

He also said that shops selling banned gutkha products had been sealed, including more than 24 establishments in Madurai within a week. Kumar added that the Goondas Act is being used against individuals involved in the illegal sale of synthetic drugs.