writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu faces Rs11,600 crore funding gap even b...

writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu faces Rs11,600 crore funding gap even b...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu faces a Rs11,600 crore funding gap even before accounting for a single new government promise. A white pa...

Tamil Nadu faces Rs11,600 crore funding gap even before accounting for a single new government promise

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu faces a Rs11,600 crore funding gap even before accounting for a single new government promise. A white paper on the state's fiscal management lays out the arithmetic bluntly: the deficit cannot be fully funded even if every available borrowing window comes through.

The findings cast a long shadow over the ruling party's poll manifesto, raising hard questions about when — or whether — promised schemes can be rolled out

According to the White Paper released by Finance Minister Marie Wilson along with Finance Secretary M A Siddique, the State Government is committed to deliver on its promises, despite these challenges, as early as possible as the financial position permits.

The state's net borrowing ceiling for 2026-27 stands at Rs.1,14,981 crore — fixed by Centre at 3% of projected GSDP of Rs.38.3 lakh crore. On top of that, the Centre has offered Rs.7,000 crore under its capital investment assistance scheme and potentially Rs.11,000 crore tied to pension reform parity — contingent on Centre agreeing to treat Tamil Nadu's pension scheme on par with its own.

A further Rs.19,163 crore — the 0.5% of GSDP window for power sector reforms — hangs in limbo. The 16th Finance Commission's report is silent on whether this facility continues beyond 2025-26.

Even assuming all contingent approvals materialise, maximum borrowings reach Rs.1,52,144 crore. The estimated fiscal deficit exceeds that by Rs.11,600 crore.
That gap assumes 12% growth in the state's own tax revenues — itself an optimistic projection. An 8% growth scenario widens the hole by a further Rs.7,700 crore.

The harder truth: these numbers cover only existing committed expenditure — largely obligations created by the previous government. New schemes the ruling party has promised voters don't figure in the calculation at all.

The white paper's prescription is unsentimental: plug leakages in revenue collection, reduce procurement costs, and tighten expenditure. Capital spending could be cut by Rs.5,000 crore, though the document flags this as undesirable.

The state, under Article 293(3) of the Constitution, cannot borrow without Central government permission — a structural constraint that leaves Tamil Nadu with limited room to manoeuvre unilaterally.

Chennai Metro clears key construction milestone in Phase II expansion

 

CHENNAI:
Chennai Metro has crossed a major construction milestone in its Phase II expansion programme, completing the casting of all U-girders required for a crucial elevated stretch of Corridor 5, a move expected to accelerate work on the line in the coming months.

The last 19.5-metre-long U-girder for Adambakkam Metro Station was cast at the casting yard, taking the total number of U-girders produced for the corridor to 824. CMRL said this is one of the largest U-girder production works carried out for a Chennai Metro project.

Spread across 43 acres, the casting yard has been manufacturing thousands of concrete components required for the viaduct and stations. In all, the facility has produced 5,836 precast structures using about 120,000 cubic metres of concrete and nearly 300,000 tonnes of material.

The components include pier caps, pier arms, I-girders, T-girders and parapets that form the backbone of the elevated metro line. These structures are transported nearly 18 km from the yard to various construction locations along the corridor.

The project involved casting girders of varying sizes, including one measuring 33.3 metres and weighing 225 tonnes, among the largest used in metro construction in the country.

The milestone was marked in the presence of senior officials from CMRL, consultant AEON and contractor Larsen & Toubro, a release stated.

TN ministers inspect Hyundai Mobis plant after fire

 

CHENNAI:
Industries Minister S Keerthana and Minister for Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils S P K  Thennarasu inspected Mobis India Limited's manufacturing facility at Irungattukottai, near Chennai, where a fire broke out on Sunday, as the state government sought to reassure investors about safety and emergency response measures in one of its largest automobile manufacturing clusters.

The ministers held discussions with representatives of Hyundai Motor India and Mobis India. The facility supplies audio components and a few other automotive parts to the automaker and employs more than 500 workers in shifts. The fire had temporarily disrupted production. The visit comes amid efforts by the state government to assess the extent of damage and ensure continuity of operations in the automotive supply chain, a release stated.

Company representatives told the ministers that swift intervention by state agencies helped contain the incident and minimise risks to workers and nearby facilities. They also conveyed their appreciation to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for directing an immediate response after reports of the fire emerged.

 

Later on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor India officials met Chief Minister Joseph Vijay at the secretariat. 

writingonblog uncensored: ICGS Sarang decommissioned after 27 years of service

writingonblog uncensored: ICGS Sarang decommissioned after 27 years of service: CHENNAI Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarang, an advanced offshore patrol vessel of the Samar class built by Goa Shipyard Limited, was de...

ICGS Sarang decommissioned after 27 years of service

CHENNAI
Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarang, an advanced offshore patrol vessel of the Samar class built by Goa Shipyard Limited, was decommissioned on Sunday after nearly three decades of service, marking the end of a 27-year operational career that spanned maritime surveillance, search-and-rescue missions and emergency response operations.

Commissioned on June 21, 1999, in Goa by Vice Admiral V A Kamath, the first Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, the vessel was initially based in Mumbai before being rebased to Chennai on April 1, 2002.

The decommissioning ceremony was presided over by Additional Director General Donny Michael, Commander, Coast Guard Eastern Seaboard. During the ceremony, a ceremonial guard of honour was presented and, as the sun set, the Coast Guard ensign was lowered for the final time. The decommissioning pennant, measuring the length of the vessel, was also hauled down in a symbolic farewell.

Named after the hawk, Sarang played a key role in several maritime operations during its service. Among its notable deployments was its contribution to firefighting efforts aboard the motor tanker New Diamond off the coast of Sri Lanka in 2020, according to an official release.

 

Excl: Tamil Nadu steps up AI ambitions with Tamil-language model plans

 

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu is exploring the development of large language models tailored for Tamil computing, while stepping up investments in graphics processing infrastructure and overseas academic partnerships as part of a wider push to position the state as a regional hub for artificial intelligence.

Pradeep Yadav, Additional Chief Secretary and secretary to the state’s newly expanded Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services department, said the government was working towards creating Tamil-language AI tools, datasets and digital public infrastructure amid rising global interest in vernacular AI ecosystems.

The initiative marks one of the clearest signals yet of the state’s ambition to build sovereign language AI capabilities at a time when policymakers across India are seeking to reduce dependence on English-centric models dominated by global technology companies.

“We are looking at tie-ups with many organisations, including the National University of Singapore,” Yadav told The New Indian Express. He added that the state-run Tamil Virtual Academy was already engaged in Tamil computing projects and would play a role in expanding Tamil-language AI resources.

The push comes as governments and technology firms increasingly recognise that the next phase of AI adoption in countries such as India will depend on the availability of models trained in regional languages for use in governance, education and public services.

Tamil Nadu is also seeking to strengthen its computing backbone to support the initiative. Yadav said the state already possessed GPU capacity and was exploring further investments to scale up AI infrastructure. Discussions are also under way with AI start-up Sarvam AI as part of the state’s broader strategy to deepen Tamil-language computing and indigenous AI capabilities.

Graphics Processing Units, or GPUs, are specialised processors capable of handling large-scale parallel computations and form the backbone of modern artificial intelligence systems. Originally designed for gaming and graphics applications, GPUs are now essential for training and deploying large language models because they process AI workloads significantly faster than conventional central processing units.

The state’s plans come even as Tamil Nadu has yet to formally implement the Union government’s National AI Mission, approved in 2024 with an outlay of about ₹10,300 crore. The programme aims to create large-scale GPU computing infrastructure, support Indian AI start-ups, develop indigenous large language models and build public AI datasets and platforms.

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