PM Modi, CM Vijay vow to work together for Tamil Nadu's growth

Approve phase three of the Chennai Metro Rail, make Cauvery-Godavari river linking a national project, release over Rs 5,000 crore education funds without imposing any conditions — these were among the slew of requests Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai on Sunday, October 11. 

The Chief Minister listed the demands with Prime Minister Modi seated right next to him on stage at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, after the launch of the 15-km Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani section of Chennai Metro’s Phase II.

CM Vijay listed seven infrastructure projects that he requested the Union government to grant sanction to on a priority basis: 

• Six-laning of the Chengalpattu–Tiruchirappalli section of GST Road (NH-32)

• Six-laning of the Tiruchirappalli–Panjappur–Jayapuram–Karur stretch of NH-81

• Six-laning of the Karur–Coimbatore stretch

• Elevated corridor from Madhavaram, Chennai, to Sholavaram on NH-87

• High speed rail corridor between Chennai and Kanniyakumari

• High speed rail corridor between Chennai and Coimbatore

• Reconsider Madurai & Coimbatore Metro Projects 

Other demands include 

• Cauvery-Godavari river linking be made a national project

• Release Rs 5,110 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), without imposing any conditions

• Tamil as the principal language in the proceedings of the Madras High Court

The two leaders said they are committed to work together for the state’s development, emphasising cooperation between the Union and state governments as they inaugurated and launched infrastructure projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore across Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the gathering after Vijay’s speech, Prime Minister Modi said, “Governments and political leaderships may change, but our commitment to the people of Tamil Nadu and the rapid development of this state remains unshakeable. Today, we take this journey forward together with Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.”

The Prime Minister also said urban development was a priority and described urbanisation as an opportunity rather than a challenge. He noted that metro services had expanded to 25 cities from five in 2014, while India's metro network had grown from around 250 km to more than 1,100 km.

The projects inaugurated and launched during the Prime Minister’s visit also included highway works worth around Rs 3,700 crore, the Karaikal-Peralam railway line, three railway flyovers in and around Coimbatore, and five redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations at Palani, Vellore Cantonment, Ambasamudram, Paramakudi and Namakkal.

Earlier, Modi held a brief roadshow near Saidapet and offered prayers at the Jalakandeswarar temple on the IIT Madras premises. He also visited the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Research Centre at IIT Madras.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Union Minister L Murugan have also attended the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Chennai visit happened even as protests raged in Delhi seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over discrepancies in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. Thousands of protesters were detained and allegedly assaulted in the national capital on October 10 and 11. Several journalists and senior politicians also faced detention and assault.