Stalin writes to PM Modi, says rejection of Metro Rail projects by Centre has caused resentment

Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi his disappointment over the Centre's rejection of proposals for Metro Rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai and said it has caused resentment among public and sought reconsideration of the decision. High-capacity public transport alternatives are an imperative in large growth engine cities, Stalin said and underscored that Tamil Nadu was the most urbanised state in the country with a high per-capita private vehicle ownership. Writing to Modi, the chief minister said, under such circumstances, the state government prepared the DPRs for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rails and forwarded it to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for approval. However, the proposals were rejected by MoHUA, he said and conveyed his government's disappointment and anguish in this regard. "It has created deep resentment amongst the people of the two cities that their deserving needs have been rejected, as compared to similar projects sanctioned in other States," Stalin said.

He recalled that he had personally impressed upon him on these projects when he met him on 24.5.2025 and 26.7.2025 and also, he had submitted a memorandum on priority requests. Under such circumstances, the CM urged the PM to instruct MoHUA to reconsider the decision to reject the proposals. The CM said: "I urge you to instruct MoHUA to review the decision of returning the proposals... If necessary, I am ready to meet you at New Delhi with my team to explain the issues in detail. Since these two projects involve the aspirations of the industrial and cultural hubs of Tamil Nadu, I look forward to your personal intervention in this issue." On the "purported reasons" quoted by the MoHUA for rejection, he said these were not appropriate. The criterion of 2 million population, as in the Metro Rail Policy 2017, has been quoted as one of the main reasons for rejection. "I wish to highlight that the population of Coimbatore LPA (Local Planning Authority) area had exceeded 2 million way back in 2011 itself and in the case of Madurai too, the expected population is likely to exceed it now."

It is pertinent to point out at this juncture that if this 2 million criteria had been applied uniformly, many Metros in Tier-II cities like Agra, Indore and Patna may not have materialised. The "selective application" of this criterion to Tamil Nadu's proposal has created an impression of "discrimination against our cities" and the union government needs to dispel it by treating "our cities on par with the cities mentioned above," the CM requested. In addition, the adequacy of ridership for the project in Coimbatore city has been arrived at by comparing with the ridership of Chennai. This is not appropriate since ridership depends upon multiple factors. Both Coimbatore and Madurai have commuting patterns different from Chennai. The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Coimbatore prepared by RITES after detailed traffic studies had clearly projected the need for MRTS in the proposed sectors. For Madurai also, the CMP of 2011 had proposed BRT but since most of the route length would have to be elevated, it had clearly mentioned that the rail-based system can also be considered. Further, the DPR studies have made subsequent independent assessments of traffic projections, which justified the need for Metro Rail corridors. These factors have not been adequately taken into consideration. With reference to the availability of right of way, it is well known that Metro Rail projects have necessitated acquisition of private lands in most cities in India. "We are fully conscious of the need for balancing social costs due to land acquisition with the long-term socio-economic benefits from Metro Rail projects. We have been offering compensation which meets the expectations of the land owners in our current project and we will ensure that the availability of land will not be a hindrance for the proposed projects at Coimbatore and Madurai cities." In this scenario, the CM said he has advised the Department of Special Initiatives of the state government to submit detailed justifications on the issues raised by MoHUA.