There are 19 districts in Tamil Nadu whose per capita income is lower than that of the State average (₹2,36,783), the study by Dr. Rangarajan and Dr. Shanmugam pointed out.
Acknowledging that there were “wide variations” in the district-wise per capita income in 2019-20 (the latest available data), the study revealed that the figures of the remaining 13 districts exceeded the State’s tally. Tiruvallur topped the list with around ₹3.64 lakh, followed by Erode (₹3.57 lakh), and Coimbatore (₹3.39 lakh). “Interestingly, in these districts, per capita income was higher than any of the major Indian States in that year, including Telangana, Haryana, and Karnataka.” At the bottom were Perambalur (₹1,07,731), Tiruvarur (₹1,25,653), and Villupuram (₹1,30,103). It was a matter of consolation for these districts that their levels were “higher than” that of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha in the same year. However, the figures were lower than the all-India figure of ₹1.32 lakh for that year.
Emphasising the need to reduce the regional disparity, the study called for district-specific plans – industrial corridors and infrastructure development – to boost the income of the 19 districts.
