Funding Dispute Erupts Over Chennai Metro Rail Phase 2
Chennai: The day after the Union Cabinet cleared the construction of the Chennai Metro Rail Phase 2, a verbal exchange broke out in social media over Union Government’s share for the project that would be jointly executed by both governments and the State government putting the figure at Rs 7,425 crore, disputing the claim of Rs 63,246 crore.
Apart from BJP State president K Annamalai, who is on a sabbatical, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval of funds for the second phase on his X page, some BJP leaders claimed that the Union Government would be giving Rs 63,246 crore for the ChennK ai Metro Rail phase 2, prompting the State government’s Fact Checking team to clarify that it was the total project cost.
Of that, the State government would be spending Rs 22,228 crore and mobilizing another Rs 33,593 crore through loans from international agencies that would be repaid by the State government. So, the Union Government’s share in the Rs 63,246 crore project would only work out to Rs 7,425 crore, the Fact Checking team said.
Annamalai, who said that Modi had a special interest in ensuring that the State received its rightful share, which was denied during the 10 years of UPA rule, had earlier, on September 30, written to the Prime Minister saying the Rs 63,246 crore project had hit a roadblock and uploaded the letter in his X page to create an impression that the Union Cabinet approved of the project at his behest.
But Chief Minister M K Stalin had called on the Prime Minister on September 27 itself and prevailed upon him the need for releasing the pending funds for the Metro Rail project and for the SSA and to put an end to the attack on fishermen in the Palk Straits by the Sri Lankan Navy.