If you were Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a day\, what changes would you like to see?

Smart solutions for controlled traffic: I’m very clear on what I would do. I would implement a lane system across Tamil Nadu and do what Dubai has done. There are hardly any police officers on the road and the CCTV cameras record capture videos of traffic offenders. The violation ticket is sent directly to the person, which they can’t evade, so it eliminates the chance of them bribing a cop. I think this is essential, especially in Chennai. When Indians can go abroad and follow the rules, why can’t we do the same in our country?

Hoping for a hunger-free state: According to me, CM means ‘common man’ so I would like to understand the people’s problem and act upon that. Hunger is the worst disease so the first thing I’d like to do is ensure Tamil Nadu is hunger-free by introducing some relevant schemes. This would decrease the longing in a person to steal to eat and will increase his longevity and productivity.

Where is everyone’s civic sense?: There are a lot of things I would like to change but the need of the hour is environmental conservation. Banning plastic is a step in the right direction but we lack the civic sense that most other countries do. The cleanliness factor is so bad that we need to do something drastic. Teaching children road sense, safety and cleanliness right from school could help. Spitting or urinating on the road should be strictly banned. Civic sense isn’t a privilege but should be an essential part of every individual.

Employment opportunities through hospitality: I would give a lot of people licences to build hotels along the coastline of our state, right from East Coast Road to Rameswaram. This could generate a lot of employment for the people residing in and around these localities. I would also open food parks in cities across the state, where Tamil cuisine is served so that people coming from outside can enjoy the local flavours alongside Tamil cultural activities throughout the year. I want to make my Chennai beautiful too by making it eco-friendly and planting trees — this would be a sensible use of my power as the CM.

‘Education should be a habit’: With great power comes great responsibility so as the head of the state, I would ensure that every single child goes to school. Education will become a must and every pupil should complete an undergraduate degree at least. This will lead to an increased workforce. Education should be like crushing our teeth — it shouldn’t be a luxury but a habit.

Widespread removal of the ‘killer weed’: Honestly, I won’t wake up early in the morning on January 1 because I’ll be up all night partying! Hypothetically though, if I wake up as the Chief Minister, the first thing I would like to do is eliminate this ‘killer’ weed known as Lantana. It was introduced to India by the British nearly 2000 years ago and is one of the most invasive of plants that has spread like wildfire. It hinders the growth of native vegetation, increases water run-off and soil erosion. I would like to completely destroy it so that Tamil Nadu’s agriculture, forests and land can flourish again.

Cancer treatment to be made affordable: There is so much to be done when you have such a powerful role. If I wake up as the CM of Tamil Nadu, I would like to improve the quality of medical education and medical care. Every patient who seeks treatment, especially cancer, would be made comfortable. I wanted to make the treatment of cancer affordable for everyone. Apart from early detection, cancer prevention is another high priority in my list. Another thing I have noticed is that many people lack motivation and dedication in every field. If I get a chance to become the CM, I would urge people to come out of their comfort zone. 

Putting Chennai on the global music map: The first thing I would do is to include music in the school curriculum. Students should learn the basics of music from a young age itself. Chennai is a unique city that has a lot of activities happening every month. I wanted the culture of the city to be publicised all over the world and wanted more art aficionados to come into the city to experience our rich culture.

Quality primary education should be accessible to all: I believe that education is the base of everything and would ensure that everyone in the state gets quality primary education. Also, there shouldn’t be any difference between private schools and government schools. Apart from that, I would make sure that TASMAC shops sell good quality liquor and also will increase the price of alcohol. People have to really work hard to get their daily quota of drink. They will drink less and stay healthy while the khajana remains full.