CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure early approval for Phase-3 of the Chennai Metro Rail, extending connectivity to areas like Airport-Kilambakkam and Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram.
Addressing a gathering in the presence of Modi after the prime minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 13,000 crore, Vijay also sought the inclusion and early clearance of the Koyambedu to Pattabiram stretch under the approximately 65-km Phase-3 network to ensure comprehensive coverage across the Chennai metropolitan area.
Noting that Corridor 4 of Phase-2 covering 14.64 km between Poonamallee bypass and Vadapalani had been opened while another 104 km was under construction, the chief minister pressed for early sanction for an interstate metro link connecting Hosur in Tamil Nadu to Bommasandra in Karnataka for the benefit of both states.
He also appealed to the prime minister to reconsider metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai cities, keeping in mind the future growth of western and southern Tamil Nadu.
Thanking the prime minister for announcing two high-speed rail corridors between Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai in the Union Budget 2026, Vijay requested the Centre to sanction high-speed rail corridors connecting Chennai to Kanyakumari and Chennai to Coimbatore to spur economic and tourism development.
Vijay stated that his government, having crossed 100 days in office, was providing a corruption-free, transparent administration anchored in social justice, guided by the principle of "Pirappokkum Ella Uyirkkum" (all beings are equal by birth).
Reiterating that "strong states make a strong India," he said Tamil Nadu aimed to become a USD 1.5-trillion economy by 2036 by prioritising innovation, investment, and infrastructure, while ensuring that the benefits of progress reach every district beyond Chennai.
The chief minister placed several major highway connectivity demands before the Centre for priority sanction, including the six-laning of the Chengalpattu-Tiruchirappalli section of GST Road (NH-32), the Tiruchirappalli-Panchapur-Jayapuram-Karur stretch of NH-81, and the Karur-Coimbatore corridor, besides an elevated highway from Madhavaram to Sholavaram on NH-87.
Calling for water equity among states, Vijay stressed that river interlinking was imperative and urged the Union government to declare the Godavari-Cauvery link project a national project on top priority to boost water resources in the southern region.
Referring to a resolution recently passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly seeking Tamil as the principal language of proceedings in the Madras High Court, Vijay urged early clearance of the proposal sent for presidential assent.
He also requested the "immediate, unconditional" release of the pending Central share of Rs 5,110 crore due to the state under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme.