CM Directs Collectors, Police to Prioritise Women's Safety, Zero Tolerance on Corruption

Press Release Highlights of the address delivered today (29.6.2026) by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay, at the Conference of District Collectors and Police Officers held at the Secretariat. The Conference of District Collectors and Police Officers commenced this morning (29.6.2026) at the Namakkal Kavignar Maligai conference hall at the Secretariat, under the chairmanship of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay. Our people have chosen this government precisely because they wanted a transparent, honest and corruption-free government committed to social justice. We must pay close attention to basic amenities such as ration, education, drinking water, healthcare, electricity, roads and bus facilities. As far as law-and-order matters are concerned, you may act freely based on the law. Regardless of who the offender is, however powerful they may be, action must be taken swiftly and impartially under the law and the guilty must be punished. Not a single wrongdoer should be allowed to escape and cause further harm. Before holding public grievance-redressal meetings, District Level Officers' meetings should be held online. Meetings with farmers, fishermen and differently-abled persons should be conducted properly, correctly and with compassion. Grievances of people who come with petitions should be heard with kindness, their problem understood, and immediate action taken to resolve it. Most people come seeking basic needs such as a certificate or a patta. If such people are treated as one would treat a family member, they will be satisfied. Bankers' Meetings should be held to check whether people are receiving banking services properly. Field visits should be undertaken every morning except on Mondays. Sitting at the desk and receiving petitions is not the only job of a District Collector. Follow-up is extremely important. An officer should be designated for continuous follow-up action. Resolving a grievance is far more important than merely hearing it. All Collectors must hold a law-and-order meeting every month and coordinate action with the concerned departments. For every important case, consult legal experts and expedite legal proceedings to ensure swift resolution so that no wrongdoer escapes. Collectors must consult with Revenue and Police officials to identify the root cause of any potential incident before it occurs, and take preventive action against crime. The conduct of those who disturb law and order must be changed. For this, Revenue and Police must gather and verify all information, anticipate what may happen, and act accordingly. Above all, women's safety must be ensured 100%. No change and no compromise. Special arrangements must be made for women's safety. Hence, District Collectors and Superintendents of Police should pay sharp and special attention to them. Students' and children's safety must also receive close attention. Shops near every school should be continuously monitored, and inspections carried out there as and when required. Those involved in drug-related offences must be arrested immediately and produced before court to ensure they are punished. Education is a celebration. When does it become a celebration? Education becomes a celebration only when it produces students who imbibe discipline and rise above caste distinctions. Monitoring this too is in your hands. Ration shops must be ensured to supply quality food materials without any shortfall. Prompt action is needed on basic amenities, health facilities, electricity connections and supply, old-age pensions, and issuance of certificates. Immediate relief and rescue operations must be undertaken swiftly during natural disasters. The great thinker Anna said: "Go to the people; live with the people; learn from the people." That is our guiding principle. Your work must be oriented towards uplifting the lives of the grassroots people accordingly. When people bring petitions, if you clearly explain to them — with proper reasons — whether something is possible or not, they will understand. Government services must reach people's doorsteps. I look forward to your suggestions in this regard. When District Ministers and MLAs visit government offices for inspection, extend full cooperation to them. Officers must personally visit and inspect how government schemes are being implemented on the ground. Transparency should be the basic principle. Hence, District Collectors and Superintendents of Police may act independently within the framework of government rules, free from interference by individuals. Firm action must be taken against caste-based discrimination and violence. The Education Department must monitor incidents of caste promotion in schools. Stampede incidents during temple festivals, political rallies and public events must be prevented. The PWD, HR&CE, Fire & Rescue Services and Revenue Department must coordinate in advance with the Police for all major events. Land disputes are the primary cause of most assault and murder cases in rural Tamil Nadu. District-level Land Dispute Resolution Committees must be reconstituted in every district and meet at bi-monthly intervals. Collectors and Superintendents of Police must review their functioning monthly and assess effectiveness. CCTV installation drives must be actively pursued in all identified critical locations — areas unsafe for women, high-crime spots, accident-prone routes, and places frequented by senior citizens. Priority must be given to closing coverage gaps in Tier-2 towns and peri-urban areas of Tamil Nadu. Progress on CCTV installation must be reviewed and documented at monthly district-level meetings. Women's safety must be a standing, non-negotiable agenda item at every monthly district-level coordination meeting. Progress on monitoring of key locations and CCTV coverage must be reviewed at every meeting. Likewise, during inspections by the CoP/IGP/DIG/SP, not just crime statistics on offences against women, but also the quality of investigation, victims and compensation for their dependents, and the status of pending investigations must be reviewed monthly. Delay in registering FIRs in crimes against women and POCSO cases will not be tolerated. Schools and educational institutions must not conceal or delay forwarding complaints. Awareness drives must be conducted in all government and private schools across Tamil Nadu. Child marriages continue to be registered at high rates in some parts of the State. A targeted approach must be adopted in vulnerable communities. The rising trend of gang-related activities, drug abuse and juvenile involvement in crime must be curbed. Since school dropout is a significant risk factor, the School Education Department must closely monitor dropouts. The Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act provisions must be effectively utilised. Regarding prevention of illicit liquor, Police, Revenue and Forest officials must gather intelligence on illicit distillation spots in hill regions. Local bodies must be actively involved in community-level prevention. The drug menace cannot be solved by enforcement alone — equal focus must be given to reducing drug demand. The Health Department must conduct de-addiction camps in all districts. Certain tablets are being misused as addictive substances. Drug inspectors, Food Safety officers and Excise officials must all be actively involved in anti-drug operations. NCORD meetings must be held regularly by Collectors and Superintendents of Police. District Collectors and Superintendents of Police in border districts such as Tiruvallur, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Theni, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri must closely monitor and act against smuggling of drugs and unauthorised transport of mineral resources through these districts. The spread of ganja, gutka and other drugs, particularly among migrant labour communities in industrial zones such as Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruppur, must be closely monitored. Targeted awareness and enforcement drives must be conducted in areas with high migrant populations. Revenue, Police and enforcement officials must jointly detect and curb illicit sand mining along the Cauvery, Vaigai and other riverbeds, and stop illegal sand quarries. Ponzi and multi-level marketing schemes that defraud vulnerable communities continue across Tamil Nadu. All concerned departments must take effective action to curb these through strict law enforcement and public awareness. Industrial safety practices must be strictly enforced at chemical and fireworks factories. The Director of Industrial Safety and Health must be made responsible for periodic inspections. No unit should be allowed to operate without a licence. Special attention must be paid to cyclone-prone coastal districts, flood-prone delta districts, and hilly regions of the Nilgiris and Western Ghats, with structured disaster-preparedness audits. Rescue infrastructure gaps in Chennai and its suburbs must be addressed before the onset of the northeast monsoon. It is a matter of concern that Tamil Nadu records the highest number of road accident deaths in the country. Accident-prone spots must be identified, deadlines fixed, and necessary road improvement works undertaken at high-risk locations. Compliance with road safety rules, including helmet and seatbelt use, must be ensured. Migrant workers from Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and the north-eastern States work in Tamil Nadu. Migrants must not be subjected to attacks or exploitation. Mandatory registration of migrant workers must be enforced through the Labour Welfare Department to ensure their safety. Members of the public visiting police stations must be treated with dignity. Digital arrest scams, OTP frauds, and investment scams targeting senior citizens and rural populations through social media have increased. The public must be made aware of these. All Cyber Crime police stations must work actively to prevent and detect such crimes. The Commissioner of Police/District Superintendents of Police must hold monthly coordination meetings with all Public Prosecutors on murder, POCSO and other important cases. Progress from the previous month must be reviewed and documented, and this must be confirmed by senior police officers. All District Collectors and Superintendents of Police must be honest and sincere. There must be clarity and transparency. Do good for the people, and good will follow. My best wishes to all of you for excellent performance. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9