The primary responsibility of the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Department originally was the preparation of the Annual and Five Year Plans for the State, monitoring and review of expenditure on State Plan Schemes, Twenty Point Programme and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. In the context of the abolition of the Un ion Planning Commission and the merger of the Plan and Non-Plan portions of the Budget, formation of NITI Aayog, and advent of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the role of the Department will evolve to longer term strategic goal setting and medium term operational sequencing of development projects and programmes in Tamil Nadu, and securing greater policy coordination in such initiatives, and bringing focus on achieving the targets and indicators under the SDGs.

The Department coordinates with various Government Departments towards achieving overall development goals, and is a member in various Departments’ State level Committees for Schemes and Programmes. The Department also scrutinises proposals for development schemes prepared by other Departments.

The Department is also the Nodal Department of the State Government which co-ordinates with and interacts with the NITI Aayog, and for up dating the current status of the issues received from the departments concerned raised under PRAGATI.

The Department performs a number of co-ordination functions for new initiatives of the Government, involving multi-departmental action.

Drawing on the expertise of the State Planning Commission (SPC), the Department of Economics & Statistics (DOES) and Department of Evaluation & Applied Research (DEAR), the Department is providing policy advice. It also takes up promotion, design and implementation of projects through the Tamil Nadu Innovations Initiatives and evidence based policy making initiatives.

Further, through the Special Initiatives Wing, overseeing the Chennai Metro Rail Project and certain New Special Initiatives to speed up the progress of important infrastructure and development projects are being carried out.

1.0. MAIN ACTIVITIES

i.Co-ordinating with all departments to focus State Government’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda:2030;

ii.Preparation of longer term strategic and medium term operational planning in co-ordination with the NITI Aayog;

iii,State level coordination and monitoring of the Aspirational Districts Programme;

iv,Assessment of development indicators and evaluation of major schemes and programmes;

v.Stewarding studies on formulation and implementation of specific programmes relating to land and water use in the State Planning Commission;

vi.Collection and compilation of performance of various monitorable items and schemes implemented by Departments and organisations under Twenty Point Programme;

vii.Administering the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII);

viii.Ensuring balanced development among regions in key economic and social indicators and overseeing the Implementation of the Programme of “State Balanced Growth Fund”;

ix.Implementation of Special Area Development Programme(SADP) from 2015-2016 replacing the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) and Western Ghats Development Programme (WGDP);

x.Making arrangements for review of progress in major infrastructure projects by the Chief Secretary;

xi.Co-ordination activities in special and innovative projects involving several Government departments;

xii.Oversee the preparation of District Development plans through District Planning Cells which function as supporting arms of the District Planning Committees;

xiii.Promotion of Evidence Based Policy Making in Government;

xiv.Collection, compilation and dissemination of statistical data from public and private data sources including State Income Estimates, Economic Census, Agricultural Census, Socio-Economic Surveys, Special Surveys, Elderly Panel Survey and Monthly Reports on the State’s economy through Department of Economics and Statistics;

xv.Evaluation of development schemes, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Externally Aided Projects through Evaluation and Applied Research Department;

xvi.Providing administrative support and facilitating the operations of the State Planning Commission, Department of Economics and Statistics and the Department of Evaluation and Applied Research;

xvii.Facilitating new and special projects like the Metro Rail Project under the Special Initiatives wing and

xviii.Launching new Special Initiatives to expedite the progress of important infrastructure and development projects;