G.O.(Ms) No. 81, Reconstitution of the State Statistical Committee, 2024

What the order does

G.O.(Ms) No. 81 dated 23 May 2024, issued by the Tamil Nadu Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (ST2&E) Department, reconstitutes the State Statistical Committee. The committee acts as a technical coordination body between the Department of Economics and Statistics and the State Planning Commission.

The reconstituted committee is intended to strengthen coordination between State Government departments and streamline how they collect, analyse, manage and disseminate data.

Who is on the committee

The State Statistical Committee is chaired by the Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission. Its official membership includes:

• The Full Time Member and Additional Full Time Member of the State Planning Commission.
• Senior representatives of the Planning and Development Department, Finance Department, and Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare Department.
• Department secretaries co-opted according to the subject being considered.
• The Member Secretary of the State Planning Commission.
• A representative of the Central Statistical Organization in the cadre of Deputy Director General.
• The Director of the Department of Economics and Statistics, who serves as Member Convenor.

Any two experts from a relevant field may participate as co-opted non-official members.

Objectives and functions

The State Statistical Committee has the following main responsibilities:

• Streamline data management methods across Tamil Nadu.
• Advise departments on data collection, analysis, presentation and public dissemination.
• Guide the development of a State data management framework.
• Improve access to data collected by different departments.
• Collect information from emerging sectors such as information technology and fintech.
• Support interpretative statistical reports on fields such as health and women.
• Review departmental and sectoral administrative data.
• Advise on creating a data warehouse.
• Make datasets available for use by academics and professionals.
• Establish protocols for collection, authentication, storage and dissemination while following personal data privacy protocols.
• Improve decentralised statistical coordination and the use of statistics in policy and decision making.

The committee should preferably meet once every quarter.

Relevance to property and land matters

G.O.(Ms) No. 81 concerns government statistical administration. It does not contain provisions changing land classification, title, patta, registration, planning permission, land use or property charges. A property buyer or owner is not given any new duty or application process under this document, although government departments may use improved administrative statistics for planning and policy purposes.