TIRUCHY: Stating that Tiruchy is the heart of Tamil Nadu, and it deserved world-class infrastructure, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said the DMK government has invested over Rs 26,066 crore in several development projects in Tiruchy in the last four years.
Speaking after inaugurating an integrated bus and truck terminal at Panjappur, the chief minister commended Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi for their contributions to developing the district and said they exemplified the Dravidian model of governance.
Further, Stalin asserted that Dravidian Model 2.0 is poised to deliver development at “rocket speed” and vowed continued inclusive progress for all sections of society. He took the opportunity to criticise the previous AIADMK’ government, saying it failed to secure Cauvery water rights and supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Also, he referred to the anti-Sterlite firing in Thoothukudi, and contrasted it with the DMK government’s achievements in education, infrastructure, and social welfare.
The bus terminal, named after former chief minister M Karunanidhi, is a state-of-the-art facility built at a cost of Rs 408 crore on 40 acres of land. Once fully functional, it will address the need for an integrated bus terminus in central Tamil Nadu. The terminal can accommodate 401 buses and includes amenities such as air-conditioned waiting halls, escalators, lifts, and retail outlets, drawing comparisons to airport-level infrastructure.
Stalin also unveiled a statue of Karunanidhi within the premises.
Additionally, the chief minister opened the Perarignar Anna Truck Terminal, constructed at a cost of Rs 136 crore, and unveiled a statue of former CM CN Annadurai.
Earlier in the day, Stalin unveiled a statue of Dravidian icon EV Ramasamy Periyar and laid the foundation stone for a wholesale vegetable market, estimated at Rs 236 crore in Panjappur.
He came to Panajappur from Edamalaipattipudhur. Upon arriving on stage, Stalin requested the gathering to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of terrorist attack in Pahalgam and lauded Indian Army’s counter-efforts.