Chennai: Laying the foundation stone for the metro rail project work from Washermenpet to Tiruvottiyur-Wimco Nagar on Saturday, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said the line would be completed in three years for the benefit of North Chennai residents.
The proposal for extending the metro rail by nine kilometres from Washermenpet was sent to the Centre by the DMK government in 2010, but the then UPA government did not give its approval, she said.
The present Central government gave its approval due to her government’s efforts and the co-operation of Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.
She said eight metro rail stations would be come up on the route, including stations at Sir Thyagaraja college, Korukkupet, Tondiarpet, Tollgate and RK Nagar.
The present stretch of 45.1 km was not sufficient for future needs and the state government had decided to pursue three routes in the second phase of Chennai Metro Rail scheme, Jayalalithaa said at the inaugural function at Tondiarpet in her R.K.Nagar constituency. Two of the new routes would begin from Madhavaram and the project report is being prepared.
The proposal would be sent to the Union government for its approval, she said and requested Venkaiah Naidu to give speedy approval for the project.
In 2011 February, an MoU was signed between CMRL, Central and state governments. However, since most of the sections of MoU was against the state’s interests, she had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to modify the agreement, the Chief Minister said and asked the Centre to take necessary action to modify the MoU so that the state government is not affected.
On metro rail in South Chennai, she said the section between Little Mount and Airport would be completed next month and the stretch between Alandur and St. Thomas Mount would be finished in October. The metro rail works between Koyambedu to Nehru Park would be completed within this year-end and passenger services would begin.
