Chennai: In a big boost to phase- II of the city’s metro project, the Central government has agreed to issue the funds as request by the state government in the recent meeting of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project has been facing issues due to lack of funds and the state government sought funds from the Centre in line with other similar projects across the country.
On Thursday, CM Stalin took to X and thanked the Prime Minister for approving the funds that will now enable the smooth progress of the Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase-II. "Thank you, Hon'ble PM @narendramodi, for accepting our request during my last meeting with you and approving the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail Project," he said in the X post.
"This long pending demand of the people of Tamil Nadu having been addressed now, we are confident of completing the project at the earliest !" the Chief Minister further added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to X and expressed happiness over the decision. "Boosting ‘Ease of Living’ in a vibrant city! I congratulate the people of Chennai and Tamil Nadu on the Cabinet’s approval of the Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase-II. This will help in easing traffic, improving sustainability and economic growth," he said.
About Chennai Metro Phase – II
The project completion cost of the phase-II of the Chennai Metro is Rs.63,246 crore and is planned to be completed by 2027. Once Phase-II is fully operational, the Chennai city will have a total Metro Rail network of 173 Km. The Phase II Project comprises following three corridors:
Corridor-(i): from Madhavaram to SIPCOT for a length of 45.8 Km with 50 stations.
Corridor-(ii): from Lighthouse to Poonamalle Bypass for a length of 26.1 Km with 30 stations, and
Corridor-(iii): from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur for a length of 47 Km with 48 stations.
The Phase-II of Chennai Metro Rail Project represents a significant advancement in the city's infrastructure development. Phase-II acts as a major expansion of the Metro Rail Network in the city, an official release on the Union Cabinet's decision read.
What Happened In CM-PM's Last Meeting?
In his meeting with PM Modi, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister discussed several pending. He urged the PM for an early release of the pending funds for the Chennai metro phase-II project, that has been facing cash crunch for a long time.
The chief minister sought the speedy release of funds for the Chennai metro project as Rs 18,544 crore has already been spent so far. He asserted that the state government wants to start work on the second phase of the Chennai metro and the non-disbursement of the pending dues has "caused a delay in the works.
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CM Stalin said that he submitted a memorandum with multiple demands, including the PM’s intervention in the allocation of funds for the Rs 63,246-crore metro project in Chennai. The CM said that the work on the Chennai metro has been delayed due to the state’s fiscal constraints, pushing the completion deadline to December 2028 from December 2027.
He urged the Prime Minister to consider the state government's request to approve Phase-II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project under a 50:50 equity-sharing basis between the Central and Tamil Nadu governments, as was done during Phase-I of the project.