Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has in principle decided to put on hold the monorail project, for now, but has not given it up completely, electricity minister P. Thangamani informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to the issue raised in the Assembly by DMK member Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Mr Thangamani said when he held the transport portfolio, the monorail project was conceptualised to ensure quick transportation and to decongest the city and accordingly tenders were floated.
“But there has been no response to the tenders invited by the government. Also due to lack of space in Chennai and because of the extension of metro rail project, the monorail project has been shelved for now but it has not been dropped completely,” he added.
Earlier raising the subject, Anbil Mahesh sought to know the status of the dream project of late Chief Minister J. Jayalailthaa.
“It has been an important project for the former Chief Minister. But the Mono rail project, which is operated in various parts of the world, has not succeeded in so far as Chennai is concerned. What has been the problem in ensuring the project?” he asked.
The mono rail was one of the pet projects of Jayalalithaa who had announced it during her tenure.
The DMK had put the project on the back-burner. According to sources, the Centre had laid too many conditions for the project while giving its principle clearance for monorail corridor proposed between Poonamallee and Kathipara with a link from Porur to Vadapalani running to an extent of 20.68 kilometres.
