In a significant move towards participatory governance, the Tamil Nadu government has unveiled a unique public outreach program designed to directly tap into the aspirations of its people. Titled 'Ungal Kanavai Sollungal' (Tell Us Your Dreams), the initiative aims to collect the hopes and needs of every family across the state and translate them into concrete policy actions and development projects.
Cabinet Greenlights Statewide Dream Collection Drive
The decision was formally approved during the state cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, presided over by Chief Minister M K Stalin at the secretariat. The program is set for a grand launch by CM Stalin himself on January 9 in Ponneri, Tiruvallur district. This ambitious exercise is scheduled to be implemented over an intensive 30-day period.
Explaining the vision behind the scheme, State Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi stated that the government seeks to understand and fulfill the dreams of each of the approximately 1.91 crore families in Tamil Nadu. "Through this scheme, the government wants to know the dreams of all families," he told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
How the Dream Collection Mechanism Will Work
The operational plan involves a massive ground-level effort. A dedicated force of 50,000 volunteers will be deployed to distribute physical forms to households. These forms will serve a dual purpose:
- They will list various existing government schemes, asking families to indicate which ones they have benefited from.
- Families will be asked to list their top three dreams or aspirations.
Volunteers will revisit the households after a couple of days to collect the filled forms. The collected data will then be digitized through a dedicated mobile application. A unique ID will be generated for each family, and a corresponding 'Dream Card' carrying this ID will be issued to them for future reference.
Special Focus on Youth and Diaspora
The program extends beyond families to specifically engage the state's youth. A separate online portal will be launched on January 11 for individuals aged between 15 and 29 years. On this platform, young people can register two immediate dreams and two long-term dreams.
In a thoughtful inclusion, the government has also planned to involve the global Tamil community. On January 12, celebrated as Non-Resident Tamils Day, five special volunteers will be stationed to collect the dreams and aspirations of diaspora members attending the event.
From Dreams to Development: The Road to 2030
The ultimate goal of this unprecedented data collection is to directly inform governance. Minister Poyyamozhi clarified that the inputs received will be used to design and implement development works and schemes at both the state and local body levels.
Short-term, actionable dreams will be addressed with immediate interventions, while the long-term aspirations gathered will play a crucial role in shaping the state's comprehensive development roadmap leading up to the year 2030. This initiative marks a paradigm shift in policy-making, aiming to build Tamil Nadu's future from the ground up, based on the collective vision of its citizens.
