Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than ₹20,000 crores in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on 2 January 2024. He also hit back at Chief Minister Stalin, albeit subtly by listing down various efforts taken by the Centre in developing the state.
Chief Minister Stalin who spoke earlier used the stage of the government function to peddle politics of Centre Vs State. He had said “The Prime Minister is aware of the fact that last month in Chennai and Southern districts, due to floods following heavy rainfall, public infrastructure in those districts has been extensively damaged. People’s livelihoods have also been badly affected. Therefore, on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I again request to declare them as “severe natural calamities” and provide adequate relief funds to Tamil Nadu from the National Disaster Relief Fund. Don’t expect us to keep on asking! It is the responsibility of the state governments to provide education, medicine and necessary assistance to millions of people in the vast land of India. Demands for statehood and assertion of state rights are not political slogans, but living demands themselves. I believe that the Prime Minister will definitely fulfill the demand of the Tamil Nadu government in that regard.“
During his address, PM Modi extended New Year wishes and expressed his pleasure in holding his first public program of 2024 in Tamil Nadu.
He said that today’s projects worth more than ₹20,000 crores will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s progress as he congratulated the people of the state for projects spanning sectors of roadways, railways, ports, airports, energy and petroleum pipelines. He said that many of these projects would boost travel and also create thousands of employment opportunities in the state.
PM Modi also offered condolences for the recent heavy rains in Tamil Nadu and assured that the central government is providing support to the state.
The Prime Minister expressed his condolences and also said that the central government stands with the people of Tamil Nadu. “We are providing all possible help to the State government”, he said.
Paying tribute to the late DMDK founder Vijaykanth who passed away recently, PM Modi said “he was a ‘Captain’ not only in the field of cinema but also in politics. He won the hearts of the people through his work and films and kept the national interest above everything.”
He also remembered the contributions of Dr M S Swaminathan who played an important role in food security for the country and paid tribute to the departed soul.
Highlighting the significance of the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal in India’s development, PM Modi underlined the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu and its contributions to science and technology. He praised Tamil Nadu’s historical governance models and its role in promoting Indian culture abroad.
“Tamil Nadu is home to the ancient language of Tamil and it is a treasure trove of cultural heritage”, the Prime Minister said as he mentioned Sage Thiruvalluvar and Subramania Bharati among others who created magnificent literature. He also mentioned that Tamil Nadu is home to scientific and technological brains like C V Raman and other scientists who instil new energy in him whenever he visits the state.
Referring to the rich heritage of Tiruchirappalli, PM Modi said that here we find the remnants of good governance models of dynasties like Pallava, Chola, Pandyas and Nayak dynasties. He said that he mentions Tamil Culture at any given opportunity during his travels abroad.
“I believe in the continuous expansion of the contribution of Tamil cultural inspiration in the development and heritage of the country”, he said. He mentioned the establishment of sacred Sengol in the New Parliament, Kashi Tamil and Kashi Saurashtra Sangamam as efforts that have led to increased enthusiasm for Tamil Culture throughout the country.
The Prime Minister informed about India’s huge investments in sectors such as roadways, railways, ports, airports, homes for the poor and hospitals in the last 10 years as he underlined the government’s emphasis on physical infrastructure. He also mentioned India breaking into the top 5 economies of the world where it has become a ray of hope for the world. Referring to the huge incoming investments in India from across the globe, the Prime Minister said that its direct benefits are being availed by Tamil Nadu and its people as the state has become a prime brand ambassador for Make in India.
The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s approach where the development of the state reflects in the development of the nation. He informed that more than 40 Union Ministers from the Central Government have toured Tamil Nadu more than 400 times in the past year. “India will progress with the progress of Tamil Nadu”, Shri Modi said as he referred to connectivity being the medium of development which gives a boost to businesses and also makes people’s lives easier. Referring to the projects of today, the Prime Minister mentioned the New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport which will increase the capacity by three times and strengthen connectivity towards East Asia, Middle East and other parts of the world. He noted that the inauguration of the new terminal building will create new opportunities for investments, businesses, education, health and tourism. He also mentioned the increased connectivity of the airport to national highways through an elevated road. He expressed satisfaction that the Trichy Airport with its infrastructure will introduce the world to Tamil culture and heritage
Referring to the five new railway projects, PM Modi said that they will promote industry and electricity generation. The new road projects will connect important centers of faith and tourism like Srirangam, Chidambaram, Rameshwaram and Vellore.
Dwelling upon the port-led development focus of the central government during the last 10 years, the Prime Minister mentioned projects to transform the coastal areas and the lives of the fishermen. He listed a separate ministry and budget for fisheries, Kisan Credit Card for fishermen, assistance for boat modernization for deep sea fishing and PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.
Referring to the Sagarmala Yojna, the Prime Minister informed that ports in the country are being connected with better roads. He informed that the port capacity and turn-around time of the ships have improved significantly as he mentioned Kamrajar Port whose capacity has been doubled. He also mentioned the inauguration of General Cargo Berth-II of Kamarajar Port which will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s import and export, especially the automobile sector. He also touched upon nuclear reactor and gas pipelines which will give rise to employment opportunities.
The Prime Minister informed about record expenditure on Tamil Nadu by the Central Government. He said that in the decade before 2014 states were given 30 lakh crore rupees whereas in the last 10 years states were given 120 lakh crore rupees. Tamil Nadu too got 2.5 times more money in this period as compared to the 10 years preceding 2014. For national highway construction, more than three times expenditure was done in the state and 2.5 times more money was spent in the railways sector in the state, he informed. Lakhs of families in the state are getting free ration, medical treatment and facilities like pucca houses, toilets and piped water.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister underlined the need for Sabka Prayas or everyone’s effort to accomplish the goals of Viksit Bharat. He expressed confidence in the capability of the youth and the people of Tamil Nadu. “I can witness the rise of a new hope in the youth of Tamil Nadu. This hope will become the energy of Viksit Bharat”, the Prime Minister concluded.
Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R N Ravi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M K Stalin, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Shri L Murugan were among others were present on the occasion.
At the public programme in Tiruchirappalli, the Prime Minister inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport. Developed at a cost of more than 1100 crore, the two-level new international terminal building can serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3500 passengers during peak hours. The new terminal hosts state-of-the-art amenities and features for passenger convenience.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation multiple railway projects. These include the project for doubling of 41.4 Km Salem–Magnesite Junction–Omalur–Mettur Dam section; project for doubling of rail line section of 160 Km from Madurai – Tuticorin; and three projects for rail line electrification viz Tiruchchirappalli- Manamadurai- Virudhunagar; Virudhunagar – Tenkasi Junction; Sengottai – Tenkasi Junction – Tirunelveli- Tiruchendur. The rail projects will help improve the rail capacity to carry freight and passengers and contribute to economic development and employment generation in Tamil Nadu.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation five road sector projects. The projects include 39 km four-lane road for Trichy – Kallagam section of NH-81; 60 km long 4/2-laning of Kallagam – Meensurutti section of NH-81; 29 km four-lane road of Chettikulam – Natham section of NH-785; 80 km long two lane with paved shoulder of Karaikudi – Ramanathapuram section of NH-536; and 44 km long four laning of section of NH-179A Salem – Tirupathur – Vaniyambadi Road. The road projects will facilitate safe and faster travel of people of the region and improve connectivity of industrial and commercial centres like Trichy, Srirangam, Chidambaram, Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi, Uthirakosamangai, Devipattinam, Erwadi, Madurai, among others.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for important road development projects during the programme. These include the construction of 31 km long stretch four-lane road from Mugaiyur to Marakkanam of NH 332A. The road will connect ports on the East Coast of Tamil Nadu, enhance road connectivity to the world heritage site – Mamallapuram and provide better connectivity to Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the General Cargo Berth-II (Automobile Export/Import Terminal-II & Capital Dredging Phase-V) of Kamarajar Port. The inauguration of General Cargo Berth-II will be a step towards strengthening the country’s trade which will help boost economic growth and employment generation.
During the programme, the Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of important Petroleum and Natural Gas projects worth more than Rs 9000 crore. The two projects dedicated to the Nation include Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL)’s 488 km long natural gas pipeline from IP101 (Chengalpet) to IP 105 (Sayalkudi) section of Ennore – Thiruvallur – Bengaluru – Puducherry – Nagapattinam – Madurai – Tuticorin Pipeline; and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)’s 697 km long Vijayawada-Dharmapuri Multiproduct (POL) Petroleum Pipeline (VDPL).
Further, the projects whose foundation stone were laid include the development of 323 Km of natural gas pipeline from Krishnagiri to Coimbatore section of Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore Gas pipeline II (KKBMPL II) by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL); and laying of POL pipelines in Common Corridor for proposed grass root terminal at Vallur, Chennai. These projects of the petroleum and natural gas sector will be a step towards fulfilling the industrial, domestic and commercial requirements of the energy in the region. These will also lead to employment generation in the region and contribute to employment generation.
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. The DFRP, developed at a cost of Rs. 400 crore, is equipped with a unique design, which is the only of its kind in the world and is capable of reprocessing both carbide and oxide fuels discharged from the fast reactors. It is entirely designed by Indian scientists and signifies a crucial step towards building large commercial-scale fast reactor fuel reprocessing plants.
Among other projects, the Prime Minister inaugurated the 500 bedded Boys’ Hostel ‘AMETHYST’ of National Institute of Technology (NIT) – Tiruchirappalli.
(With inputs from PIB)
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