CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pledged continued support from the Centre to Tamil Nadu, saying the Union government was ready to work with the State to accelerate its development, as he inaugurated and launched projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore spanning metro rail, highways, railways, ports, petroleum and scientific research.
Addressing a gathering at IIT Madras campus here, Modi described the occasion as a historic day for Tamil Nadu and said the projects would strengthen industry and commerce, improve connectivity and generate employment. “The Centre’s assistance to Tamil Nadu will continue. We are ready to work together with you. Viksit Tamil Nadu will lead to Viksit Bharat,” he said, underlining the importance of Centre-State cooperation in advancing the country’s development.
Recalling his 25 years in public office as Chief Minister and Prime Minister, Modi said his experience as Gujarat Chief Minister had helped him understand the aspirations of States. He recalled working with former Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi, J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin, and said he would follow the same spirit of cooperation with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
Emphasising urban mobility as a key component of development, Modi said expanding road networks alone was insufficient and that efficient public transport was essential to easing the daily commute of ordinary citizens, students and senior citizens.
He cited the expansion of metro rail connectivity across India, saying the number of cities with metro services had risen from five in 2014 to 25, while the operational network had grown from around 250 km to more than 1,100 km.
The Poonamallee–Vadapalani stretch of Chennai Metro Rail Phase II, built at a cost of around Rs 4,900 crore, was among the key projects inaugurated. The corridor features a 3.7-km double-decker structure and advanced signalling systems designed to support driverless operations.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for national highway projects worth around Rs 3,700 crore and railway infrastructure projects worth over Rs 750 crore. These included sections of NH-744 and the Madurai Ring Road, the Thiruvarur bypass project, the Karaikal–Peralam railway line, three railway flyovers in the Coimbatore region and five redeveloped Amrit stations.
Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s maritime potential, Modi said port-related projects at Chennai, Kamarajar and V O Chidambaranar ports would strengthen cargo-handling capacity and improve logistics. He also laid the foundation stone for a Rs 1,620-crore Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks project at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Manali refinery.
In the scientific research sector, Modi dedicated the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras to the nation, launched a mission to map more than 100 human brains at cellular resolution and released C-STROKE, an atlas of the human brain affected by ischaemic stroke.
Earlier, he extended Navaratri greetings and recalled the contributions of Jayaprakash Narayan and other national leaders.
Tamil Nadu Governor in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Union Minister of State L Murugan, State ministers N Anand, K A Sengottaiyan and P Venkataramanan, BJP leaders Nainar Nagenthran, Pon Radhakrishnan, among others, attended the event.