CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday called for greater cooperation among the southern states in building common economic and infrastructure networks, pitching the proposed Bengaluru Metro extension to Hosur as a model for inter-state development.
Addressing the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Kovalam, the chief minister proposed that the council champions common economic and logistics clusters comprising integrated manufacturing zones, shared multimodal logistics parks and seamless freight and industrial corridors linking production centres with ports and global markets.
“Such an integrated approach would reduce the cost of doing business, boost exports, attract investment and spread industrial growth to smaller towns,” he added.
Vijay specifically backed the proposed extension of the Bengaluru Metro from Bommasandra in Karnataka to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, describing it as a model of what cooperative infrastructure across state borders could achieve. “I urge that it be carried forward expeditiously with the support of the Union and both state governments. Let it be the first of many such connections across the south,” the CM added.
He also called for an integrated southern approach to the maritime economy, covering ports, coastal shipping, fisheries, marine industries, maritime services and coastal tourism. With Tamil Nadu having a 1,076-km coastline that borders Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Kerala, he said TN is ready to partner with its