CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu finance minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday urged the Union govt to allocate Rs 10,000 crore in the current fiscal and Rs 16,000 crore in the next fiscal for the implementation of the Chennai Metro Rail project.
He was speaking at the Union govt’s pre-budget meeting in Jaisalmer.
“Thank the Union govt for sanctioning the long-pending Chennai Metro Rail phase 2. Over the past three years, this project caused a severe strain on the state’s finances with the state spending Rs 26,490 crore out of its budgetary resources,” Thennarasu said.
He urged the Centre to give approval for metro rail schemes in Madurai and Coimbatore.
The minister asked the Centre not to impose “restrictive or extraneous conditions” in the release of funds for various schemes. A sum of Rs 2,152 crore approved by the project approval board for the annual work plan and budget of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme remains unreleased.
The future of 44 lakh students, 2.2 lakh teachers and 21,276 staff members depends on timely intervention, he said.
Regarding disaster relief, Thennarasu requested the release of Rs 6,675 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund to address the impact of Cyclone Fengal. This funding would cover temporary and permanent relief and restoration needs.
The state govt demanded that new railway lines be sanctioned in industrial areas to catalyse development in the state. This included a fourth line between Tambaram and Chengalpet, Tirupattur-Krishnagiri-Hosur, Madurai-Tuticorin via Aruppukkottai line, Minjur-Tiruvallur-Sriperumbudur-Oragadam-Singaperumalkoil-Maduranthagam line and a semi-high-speed railway corridor to connect Chennai-Salem-Coimbatore with extensions like Salem-Hosur-Bengalur and Coimbatore-Ernakulam.
The state govt requested the Centre’s support in expanding highway infrastructure. Thennarasu emphasised the need for an elevated road between Tambaram and Chengalpet and from Chengalpet to Tindivanam.
He highlighted the increased traffic intensity on the Chennai-Kanyakumari corridor, developed as a four-lane highway in 2005 by the National Highways Authority of India. He requested the Centre to sanction this project and allocate adequate funds in the upcoming budget.
