Chennai: Thanking the Union Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail project, on which the State government had already spent Rs 19,229 crore, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged the officials to expedite the remaining work on it to ensure that it was completed on time.
Speaking at a review meeting, attended by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, at the Chennai Metro Rail headquarters at Nandanam in Chennai on Saturday, Stalin said the first phase was envisaged jointly by the State Government and the Union Government in 2007 during the reign of M Karunanidhi.
Since the first phase was successful and was beneficial to the people of Chennai enormously with over 3,10,000 commuters patronizing it daily, the second phase was envisaged as a corollary to it, he said, adding that the project for laying three routes totally covering 118.9 km distance would cost Rs 63,246 crore.
The first phase, which covered a distance of 54.1 km on two routes, was implemented at a cost of Rs 22,150 crore, he said.
At the review meeting on the implementation of the second phase, the Union Minister was urged to give importance and priority to the Chennai suburban route connecting the Meenambakkam airport and the bus stand for outstation buses at Kilambakkam, an official press release said.
Addressing the media at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, later, Stalin said that he prevailed upon the Union Minister to release the funds for the second phase expeditiously.
