NEW DELHI, Oct 11: The Centre with collaborations with CM C. Joseph Vijay will take forward the development of Tamil Nadu. “As chief minister, I understood the expectations of the states, so after becoming Prime Minister, I not only tried to fulfil that aspiration, but also made efforts to ensure that every state could achieve its own aspirations goals,” the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Mr Modi hailed Tamil Nadu for its rich cultural heritage and its contributions for country’s manufacturing growth. At an event in Chennai, PM Modi said, “since 2014, our electronics exports have increased 11-fold and today we are the world’s second largest mobile manufacturer. Our defence exports have increased 50-fold. And our engineering exports have also set a new record. Due to this growth in manufacturing, direct and indirect jobs have been created for the youth in the country.”
Talking about some development projects in the state, PM Modi said Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi was being developed into a world-class mega container and green energy hub with an investment of around Rs 17,000 crore. “Once completed, the port will be able to accommodate the world’s ultra-large container vessels. This will help transform Tamil Nadu into a global hub for industry and transportation,” said PM Modi.
The prime minister earlier on Sunday inaugurated the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project, and undertook a ride on it along with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. He, along with Vijay, had flagged off the new services, which are covered under Corridor four of Phase two of the Metro Rail project, before buying a ticket to travel on it. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was also present on this occasion. The Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch will have a total of 11 elevated Metro stations covering approximately 15 km.
Mr Vijay urged the Prime Minister to ensure early approval for Phase-3 of the Chennai Metro Rail, extending connectivity to areas like Airport-Kilambakkam and Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram. Vijay acknowledged the announcement of high-speed rail corridors in the 2026 union budget and requested new corridors from Chennai to Kanyakumari and Chennai to Coimbatore.
(Manas Dasgupta)