In his Budget address, the minister stated that the construction of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project, spanning 118.9 km across three corridors at an estimated completion cost of Rs 63,246 crore, is progressing at full speed.

The first stretch of Phase II, from Poonamallee Bypass to Porur Junction, connecting the existing Vadapalani Metro station and spanning 14.64 km across 11 Metro stations, is scheduled to be commissioned shortly.

Recommended by the state, the Chennai Airport-Kilambakkam, Koyambedu-Pattabiram (via Avadi) and Poonamallee-Sunguvarchathiram (via Sriperumbudur) Metro Rail projects are under the active consideration of the Central government, he said.

The state government is pursuing all steps to obtain early approval from the Government of India for these additional Metro rail lines.

He said: "Government is also pursuing a proposal for Metro Rail from Hosur, Krishnagiri district, to Bommasandra in Karnataka with both the Government of India and Government of Karnataka."

Bommasandra is close to both Bengaluru and Hosur.

The government, he said, recognises the need for modernisation of the fleet of the State transport undertakings of Tamil Nadu.

Hence, he said: "With this objective, the government will operate electric buses under the gross cost contract model. During the current financial year, 1,000 new air-conditioned electric buses will be procured for the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation."

A sum of Rs 500 crore has been allocated in the revised Budget Estimates to provide electrical and mechanical fixtures for these buses at the bus depots.

A sum of Rs 7,675 crore has been provided in the revised Budget Estimates as subsidy to the State transport undertakings, Rs 2,650 crore as performance gap funding, and Rs 1,005 crore as share capital assistance.

In the revised Budget Estimates, Rs 13,561 crore is being allocated for the Transport Department.