Slowdown, severe drought has hit TN economy: Jayalalithaa

Chennai – Economic slowdown and last year’s drought in the state had affected Tamil Nadu’s economy Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday said but expressed confidence of reversing the trend.

In her opening remarks at the Collectors’ conference here, an annual stock-taking exercise, Jayalalithaa said slowdown has affected economic performance of the state also.

“The severe drought in the state during 2012 impacted growth particularly in the agriculture and allied activities sector. We need to focus on making all efforts to revive economic growth and put it back on a high growth trajectory,” she said.

Jayalalitha said she was “quite confident” that with sustained and focussed efforts her government was undertaking across all sectors, “the state would be able to achieve the growth target for 2013-2014.”

Jayalalithaa underlined her government’s commitment for an inclusive growth model covering all sections of society including the “most vulnerable and marginalised” ones such as Adi Dravidars, Tribals, BCs and MBCs, among others.

She exhorted the District Collectors to live up to the image of being welfare officers.