Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Seeks PM Modi's Intervention for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail Projects

Stalin Seeks PM Modi's Intervention for Metro Rail Projects in Tamil Nadu

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention regarding the Metro Rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai districts. In a letter addressed to Modi on Saturday, Stalin expressed his willingness to meet personally to provide a detailed explanation of the situation.

The request comes after the Union Housing Ministry returned the proposal, citing various discrepancies, which prompted the Tamil Nadu government to allege discrimination from the central government.

Stalin urged the Prime Minister to direct the Housing Ministry to reconsider its decision to reject the proposal, stating that the ministry's determination was inappropriate.

"The Metro Rail Policy 2017's criterion of 2 million population has been cited as one of the primary reasons for rejection. I would like to emphasize that Coimbatore LPA area's population exceeded 2 million back in 2011, and Madurai's population is likely to have surpassed this threshold now," Stalin explained.

Stalin highlighted that if the 2 million population criterion had been consistently applied, several metro projects in Tier-II cities like Agra, Indore, and Patna might not have been approved.

"The selective application of this criterion to our proposal has created an impression of discrimination against our cities. The Union Government needs to dispel this perception by treating our cities equally with those mentioned above," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister added.

"The Department of Special Initiatives will submit comprehensive justifications addressing the issues raised by MoHUA. I request you to instruct MoHUA to review their decision to return the proposals. If necessary, I am prepared to meet you in New Delhi with my team to explain the issues thoroughly. Since these two projects represent the aspirations of Tamil Nadu's industrial and cultural centers, I look forward to your personal intervention in this matter," Stalin further stated in his letter to Modi.

Previously, Stalin's party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), organized large-scale protests in Coimbatore and Madurai, accusing the central government of discrimination following the rejection of the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that the DMK was politicizing the issue and alleged that the Tamil Nadu government submitted an incorrect Detailed Project Report (DPR), which led to confusion.