Jayalalithaa lays track for Metro Rail to Wimco Nagar

“Certain clauses in the MoU signed between Tamil Nadu government, Centre and CMRL during the then DMK regime in 2011 are detrimental to the interest of the state. I have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make appropriate changes to protect the interests of the state,” Jayalalithaa said, while formally laying foundation stone for the 9 km extension from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar in Tiruvottiyur of the first phase of the metro network.

Claiming credit for the Rs 14,600 crore project, the chief minister accused the previous DMK regime of spending only Rs 1,143 crore between 2006 and 2011 and said, “From June 2011 till June 2016, Rs 11,596 crore was spent on the project.” Also, the Chief Minister was all praise for Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, who had played a crucial role in getting Centre’s approval for the metro project extension. “Venkaiah Naidu has been a good friend of Tamil Nadu. It is pertinent to say that he has played a significant role in getting speedy approval from the Centre for projects related to the state,” she remarked.

The Chief Minister, who set a three-year deadline to complete Washermanpet-Wimco Nagar extension, said the State would soon approach the Centre to sanction the second phase of metro network covering Madhavaram among other parts of North Chennai. She also informed that passenger service from Little Mount to Airport would commence next month and the short stretch from Alandur to St Thomas Mount would open in October. 

Going by the CM’s announcement, Chennai people would be able to travel on the city’s first underground metro corridor from Koyambedu to Shenoy Nagar in by the year end and rest by end of 2017.