CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate key infrastructural projects in the railways, road, and industrial sectors, and lay the foundation stone for many new projects worth over Rs 31,400 crore in total in Tamil Nadu on Thursday.
This will be Modi’s first programme in Tamil Nadu in which he will share the dais with MK Stalin as chief minister. In January, Modi was scheduled to visit Madurai and Virudhunagar but the trip was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The prime minister is expected to be in Chennai for just a couple of hours, during which he will dedicate five projects completed at a total cost of over Rs 2,970 crore, and lay the foundation stones of six projects worth Rs 28,510 crore in the State.
The key projects Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for include the Rs 1,400 crore multi-modal logistics park in Chennai, the Rs 5,850 crore 21-km four-lane double-decker elevated road connecting Chennai Port to Maduravoyal (NH-4), and the Rs 14,870 crore Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway project.
Besides, the prime minister will inaugurate many railway projects, including the gauge-converted Madurai-Theni 75-km section, completed at a cost of Rs 506 crore. It would offer faster and cheaper transportation, especially for agricultural purposes. Train services between Madurai and Theni are being resumed after a gap of more than 10 years as the gauge-conversion work took a long time.
After the inauguration by Modi, Unreserved Express Special regular services will be run between Madurai Junction and Theni from Friday as per the schedule.
Modi to unveil broad gauge line linking Tambaram and Chengalpattu
“The route has many level crossings, including three in Theni district. Due to the train service, there may be heavy traffic congestion. Railway authorities need to ensure safe passage of pedestrians, cattle, and vehicles,” said rail user V Rajan, adding authorities should complete work on the Theni-Bodinayakanur broad gauge line soon by extending the service to Chennai.
The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation the third broad gauge line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu completed at a cost of Rs 598 crore. This additional line in the arterial Chennai suburban network will pave the way for introducing additional EMU trains in the section. Besides, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of five railway stations - Chennai Egmore, Katpadi, Madurai, Rameswaram, and Kanniyakumari - at an estimated total cost of Rs 1,803 crore.
Also, the 115-km Ennore-Chengalpattu section and 271-km Tiruvallur-Bengaluru section of natural gas pipeline, built at a cost of about Rs 850 crore and Rs 910 crore respectively, will be inaugurated by Modi. He will also inaugurate 1,152 houses built at a cost of Rs 116 crore as part of the Light House Project - Chennai under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban.
The 94-km four-lane Neraluru-Dharmapuri section of NH-844 and 31-km two-lane Meensurutti-Chidambaram section of NH-227, being built at a cost of about Rs 3,870 crore and Rs 720 respectively, are to improve connectivity in the region. Modi is scheduled to arrive at Chennai airport at 5.10 pm on Tuesday, and will reach Nehru Indoor Stadium at 5.45 pm.