COIMBATORE: Social activists and urban transport experts condemned the “step-motherly treatment” by the union government, after a RTI reply revealed that the much-awaited Coimbatore and Madurai metro rail projects have been languishing without approval for more than 19 months.
The RTI, filed by Chennai-based Geographic Information System (GIS) expert and transport activist Dayanand Krishnan, disclosed that DPRs for both cities remain “under preliminary examination” by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The TN government had submitted the DPRs nearly 19 months ago, yet the projects have not moved forward.
In its reply dated September 24, MoHUA stated that metro projects require “extensive examination/appraisals at different levels” and that approvals depend on feasibility and availability of resources. Activists, however, argue that such scrutiny typically takes only a few months. “Preliminary examinations are usually completed in two to three months. Despite repeated inquiries, the Centre keeps giving the same answer,” Dayanand told TNIE.
According to RTI data collected by Dayanand, metro projects in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat received approval within five and eight months respectively. “Despite the Coimbatore and Madurai projects costing roughly the same, the approvals have been inexplicably delayed,” he added.
The financial requirements of the projects also highlight the modest burden on the union government. The Coimbatore Metro, planned along Avinashi and Sathyamangalam roads, is estimated to cost Rs 10,740 crore. After deducting land acquisition (Rs 1,082.67 crore) and resettlement costs (Rs 40.34 crore), the balance cost stands at Rs 9,617 crore.
Based on recent metro approvals, the Centre’s calculated contribution is around Rs 1,443 crore, split between equity (11%) and subordinate debt (4%). Similarly, the Madurai metro, connecting Thirumangalam and Othakkadai has an estimated cost of Rs 11,368 crore, with the Centre’s share projected at Rs 1,563 crore.
Dayanand estimates that the combined annual outlay for the union government would be only around Rs 1,000 crore over three to four years. “This is a meagre amount for which such a long delay is unacceptable. The more the delay, the harder it becomes to secure external funding and the higher the risk of cost escalation,” he warned.
Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Sreenivasan told TNIE, “Tamil Nadu might not have submitted the necessary documents related to the metro rail project to the union government, and that could also be one reason. Since I have not seen the RTI report, I cannot comment on it.”
Despite multiple attempts, Union Minister L Murugan and Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran did not respond to TNIE’s calls.