Chennai, Oct. 11 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for infrastructure projects worth around Rs 13,000 crore in Tamil Nadu, pledging to work with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to accelerate the state's development. The projects cover railways, roads and petroleum infrastructure, with the prime minister saying that his commitment to serving the people would remain unchanged despite political transitions.
Addressing a gathering after the inauguration, Modi said development had always been his guiding principle and that he understood the aspirations of states from his experience as Gujarat chief minister. He said his approach as prime minister had been to help states achieve their development goals.
"Governments may change, but my resolve for Tamil Nadu's development, serving its people remains steadfast," Modi said. Referring to Vijay, whose Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) formed its first government after winning the April Assembly elections, he added that the two leaders were working together to advance the state's progress.
Earlier, Modi and Vijay jointly flagged off services on the Ponamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Chennai Metro Phase 2. The network, developed as a joint venture between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government, marks a significant expansion of public transport in the state. The two leaders also jointly inaugurated the infrastructure projects later in the day.
Modi, who recently completed 25 years as the head of a government, said the experience had strengthened his faith in the people and cooperative federalism. He took oath as Gujarat chief minister in October 2001 before becoming prime minister in 2014.
Recalling his interactions with former Tamil Nadu chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa during his tenure in Gujarat, he also referred to his subsequent dealings with O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin as prime minister.
The prime minister also spoke about India's manufacturing and export growth over the past 12 years. He said electronics exports had risen 11-fold since 2014, while defence exports had increased 50-fold. Engineering exports had also reached record levels, creating employment opportunities for young people, including in Tamil Nadu.
On port infrastructure, Modi said an investment of around Rs 17,000 crore was being made to develop V O Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi into a major container and green energy hub. Once completed, the facility will be able to accommodate ultra-large container vessels and support the state's industrial and transport sectors.Modi said metro services, which operated in five Indian cities in 2014, were now available in 25 cities. He said the newly launched projects would improve daily travel, strengthen trade and industry, and generate jobs.
Following the inaugurations, Modi travelled on the Chennai Metro between Porur Bypass and Poonamallee Bypass stations and back, accompanied by Vijay and senior officials.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.